Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City consultant outlines Chatham Parkway, Telfair Road and drainage work for Districts 1 and 2
Summary
A city consultant told Garden City residents the city will resurface a gap at the I‑16 bridge, restripe Chatham Parkway to US 80, rebuild heavily damaged sections of Telfair Road and pursue easements and canal access to address chronic drainage problems ahead of hurricane season.
City officials and their engineering consultant detailed a package of roadway and drainage projects for Districts 1 and 2 at the July 9 Garden City town hall.
Consultant Leon Davenport of Thunderbolt Consultants said the first project will resurface a short pavement section left out when the Georgia Department of Transportation rebuilt the I‑16 bridge, and the city plans restriping from the I‑16 ramps to U.S. 80 to improve safety. "The actuators are not working where they're supposed to to indicate when traffic is there and it needs to cycle," Davenport said, describing a signal at Chatham Parkway and Telfair Place that is not cycling properly.
Davenport said Telfair Road has degraded subgrade and extensive potholes caused in part by poor drainage and heavy truck traffic. He said the city intends a full‑depth reconstruction of the corridor, with either heavy pavement or concrete at the intersection to withstand turning truck movements and to widen the throat so trucks remain on pavement rather than curb and shoulder.
On drainage, Davenport said the Salt Creek area and several canals require targeted cleaning and easement work to move roadway runoff to the canal system. He said the city has a maintenance agreement with Chatham County for major canals — naming the Talmadge and Horseshoe canals — but that the city must secure easements and ensure access to some blocked reaches: "We have served property owners, [and] the city attorney and I will be working to try to obtain the easements that we need in order to make that happen."
Residents raised related concerns during public comment. Peggy Fields, a District 2 resident, described repeated stormwater flooding at her home and questioned why a commercial parcel with a prior maintenance agreement is now overgrown and not draining. "It was almost in my house," Fields said, urging the city to enforce maintenance obligations and pursue remediation.
Davenport invited residents to provide detailed feedback and to meet with him after the presentation to review project exhibits and tentative schedules. City officials said staff will coordinate engineers, legal review and targeted pipe and ditch work but cautioned that not every private drainage feature can be replaced immediately.
Next steps: staff and consultants said they will develop schedules, pursue necessary easements and coordinate with Chatham County on canal maintenance ahead of peak hurricane season.
