By Carter Infinger, Chairman Bryan County Commission.
We’re about to bid farewell to 2021, and we certainly have much to be proud of. Many of the projects unveiled in 2021 will be very beneficial to our citizens long into the future. One of these projects is the new I-95/Belfast Keller Interchange. Originally conceived a number of years ago, this game changing transportation project was first fully opened to traffic in the first month of 2021. Another major transportation project to see completion this year was the four-laning of Highway 144. A few years ago, local leaders were able to get this on the Georgia Department of Transportation priority list and we are proud to see the citizens enjoying this newly improved transportation asset that will most certainly equate to an all-around uptick in quality of life.
To continue this trend of making sure that our transportation needs match our implementation of projects, the county spent considerable time on planning and designing future transportation projects. One of those is the future roundabout at Wilma Edwards Road and Highway 280. I am pleased to report that the county has proceeded with design of this project and is working very closely with GDOT on its implementation. Also, planning efforts have been made for transportation improvements along the Highway 280 corridor to support the industrial growth in that area. The County has recently further demonstrated its dedication to meeting the transportation needs of our citizens by adopting a FY 2022 county budget that allocates funds for future improvements like the Highway 144 / Oak level road Roundabout and a roundabout located on Cranston Bluff Road and Belfast Keller.
With all this talk of transportation, it is easy to overlook some of our other projects in 2021. The County began construction of a new gym and artificial turf multipurpose fields in 2021 and that is nearing completion. This will ensure that our recreation program can keep up with demand for years to come. The site work for this project also set up the implementation of phase two of this project that will include additional baseball and softball fields in Henderson Park. The Commission authorized design of this second phase this year as well.
Last but not least, 2021 was the year that a multi-county coalition along with the State of Georgia invested heavily in Bryan County’s future with the establishment of the Bryan County Mega-site. This 2,200 acre tract of land has the potential to one day house a regionally transformative manufacturing facility which will provide economic opportunity for up to 10,000 people in this coastal region. In addition to this purchase, a partnership with the City of Savannah has allowed Bryan County to embark on a multi-year initiative to provide additional water and sewer infrastructure capacity to this site and adjacent sites to make this economic opportunity feasible.
Thank you for continuing to allow me to serve you this year. I look forward to another productive and busy term as your commission chairman. We’ve accomplished much, but we have more to do, so let’s keep that momentum going in 2022 and beyond!