An $11.3 million federal grant will buy land for The Boulevard, a new four-lane link from I-516 to White Bluff Road. The city adds $13.6 million. What it means for DeRenne.
Savannah has won an $11.3 million federal grant to buy the land for a new road that would take interstate traffic off DeRenne Avenue.
The money will pay for right-of-way for “The Boulevard,” a new four-lane divided connector from the end of I-516 to a realigned White Bluff Road. The city announced the award in a release on Oct. 9.
The exact award is $11,302,500. It comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s INFRA grant program, which funds freight and highway projects. The city said Savannah’s grant is part of $426 million going to projects in 12 states. The city will add a local match of $13,645,136.
Why DeRenne Avenue
I-516 ends abruptly at DeRenne Avenue. The city says that sends about 55,000 vehicles a day onto a congested, six-lane commercial street.
According to the city, the corridor is:
- the main way into Hunter Army Airfield’s Montgomery and Stephenson gates
- the main access to the medical district, including Memorial Health University Medical Center and St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital
- a freight route to and from the Port of Savannah
- a hurricane evacuation route
- the daily commute for thousands of Midtown and Southside residents
The city says separating interstate traffic from neighborhood traffic will spread it more evenly across DeRenne, White Bluff Road and Abercorn Street.
What The Boulevard would include
The city’s release lists:
- a new four-lane divided road from I-516 to a realigned White Bluff Road
- a direct connection to Hunter Army Airfield
- the widening of Hampstead Avenue
- a shared-use path for people walking and cycling
- improved storm culverts
Where this sits in an 18-year project
The grant does not start construction. The city calls right-of-way purchase “one of the final steps” before a project this size can move toward construction. The release gives no date for either step.
The city started Project DeRenne in 2008 with the Georgia Department of Transportation. City Council adopted a resolution on its direction in 2010. It is now four pieces of work:
| Piece | Where | Led by |
|---|---|---|
| The Boulevard (I-516 eastern terminus interchange) | I-516 to White Bluff Road | GDOT |
| West DeRenne Improvements | Mildred Street to Abercorn Street | GDOT |
| East DeRenne Improvements, with a parallel bike route | Abercorn Street to Truman Parkway | GDOT |
| West DeRenne Congestion Relief Project | Montgomery Street to White Bluff Road | City of Savannah |
The Federal Highway Administration is overseeing the project’s environmental impact statement, the city said. The city is designing the congestion relief project now, as a nearer-term fix while the larger GDOT work advances. Residents saw concept designs for both at a community meeting in November 2025. The Project DeRenne plans page has the current drawings.
“Savannah has been working on DeRenne Ave. since 2008, and today that persistence is paying off,” Mayor Van R. Johnson II said in the release.
City Manager Jay Melder said the city “will continue to deliver near-term relief on DeRenne Ave. while the larger project advances.”
Mayor Pro Tem Estella Edwards Shabazz, who represents District 5, said the city must “keep residents informed, support families and businesses affected by the improvements.”
What it means for you
- Nothing changes on DeRenne yet. The grant buys land. No construction date has been set.
- If you own property along the route, right-of-way purchase is the stage where owners are contacted. The city’s release does not list affected parcels. The Project DeRenne plans page is the place to check.
- If you drive to Memorial Health, St. Joseph’s/Candler or Hunter Army Airfield, this is the corridor the work is meant to relieve.
- For work under way now, see our road construction and closures page.
Have your say