McIntosh County

Darien River Bridge Replacement Project

Attention McIntosh residents!

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will soon begin replacing the Darien River Bridge, the primary access point to downtown Darien along US Highway 17. This project is significant and will enhance public safety and pedestrian/bike mobility along the bridge, but it could be disruptive of daily activity and environmental conditions. Please take a moment to give your opinion and input to GDOT and their partners.

The public comment period is open until January 31.

Submit your comments now

Why submit comments / attend public meetings?

A public comment period is a valuable opportunity for community members like you to share your opinions, concerns, and questions around projects such as the Darien River Bridge replacement. Public comments give the leaders of the project—in this case the GA Department of Transportation—as well as their partners, insight into how their project may most affect the local community, businesses, and landscape.

You don’t need to be an expert to attend a Public Information Open House. In fact, Public Information Open Houses are designed for residents who don’t have answers or expertise to come and ask questions of the people who should. It’s a great place to raise concerns as well and make more informed comments. When people show up to open houses and take the time to submit their comments, the project leaders pay attention—this is where we can hold them accountable for their plans and actions, while also influencing the end result.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO GDOT NOW.

Here are some suggested questions and things to think about.

As you engage with the Darien River Bridge replacement project, consider recommending that GDOT extend the pedestrian walkway element of the project to the Butler Island fishing bridge. Connecting our community to significant natural and historical places in the area is a huge asset for recreation and tourism. It’s a great opportunity to encourage human connection to wildlife and history.

Additionally, consider the following questions and comments related to the process, environmental impacts, and community access.

Construction Process

What are the construction hours?
What will be in place to help with noise and lights that will direct affect the nearby residents?
What other roads will be impacted and/or shut down during the project?

Environmental Impact

What protections are set in place to protect the river? Will a Cofferdam be used; if not, what will be used to ensure minimal impact from construction?
Is there discussion around decreasing the number of pylons for the new bridge to lessen the impact on the water, marsh, sturgeon (a protected species), and other wildlife?
How will the marsh be impacted?
How will vibrations from construction impact our nearby historical structures?

Access & Changes

Who will own the new space at the Northeast corner of the “old bridge”? (This will be created because the new proposed bridge is located slightly west of the existing bridge) Will it be used for community purposes, like building a playground or public space?
Can you extend the pedestrian walkway to the fishing bridge / Butler Island?
Is the river going to be open or closed for navigation? How will construction impact river use?

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO GDOT NOW.

View the Preliminary Concept for the Bridge

Where nature and culture meet

McIntosh County is the quintessential coastal Georgia place. With a rich and complex tradition of Native American, European, early American, and African American history, residents of McIntosh have developed a deep relationship with nature and wildlife for generations. Books like Drifting into Darien, Making Gullah, and Praying for Sheetrock describe a vast landscape of marshes and rivers speckled with shrimp boats and wildlife, and a community of people that is sustained by the landscape and the resources it provides.

Despite this deep connection to the environment, the community struggles. For generations, deep poverty fed by political corruption have resulted in a struggling economy and an inability for many to envision a future for the county that honors and commemorates past traditions and provides opportunities for all residents to build wealth and thrive.

McIntosh County is a wonder of our coast—home to Butler Island and the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area and Sapelo Island.

The Fight for Land

You may have never had to think about land acquisition and retention. But what if you didn’t have the money to stay on your land because property taxes were rising because of adjacent properties? Or what if your decision to keep or sell your late grandmother’s home meant not only the loss of a house of memories but also access to your ancestral stomping grounds? What if your voice was ignored in the conversation about your own community’s future because of discriminatory, racially biased systems? Suddenly, you’re thinking about land a lot.

Land is more than earth. Land is a protector and container of heritage. It enables the accumulation of generational wealth. It can be a powerful tool of anti-racist empowerment—or unjust systemic disenfranchisement.

We are committed to working to ensure McIntosh’s rich historical, cultural, and natural wonders are honored in future planning decisions.

Sapelo Island Butler Island Coalition

Hogg Hummock Community

The relationship between Sapelo Island “descendants”—the descendants of West African enslaved peoples—and government entities operating on the island is long-lasting and complicated. Many descendants have worked (and still work) for the State of Georgia in some capacity and the public services on the island are facilitated by the county and state in tandem. The residents of Sapelo have been self-sufficient in many ways—having their own library, a corner store, and, in the past, a school and midwifery services—but their ties with the mainland are still important.

Unfortunately, these ties are not always honored. Most recently, the county began construction on Hogg Hummock’s community center, which has long needed repairing. Funding for the project came with a promise to install an on-island clinic with a doctor for the residents. Since construction began, there has been no indication of coming through on this promise.

Rezoning & Docks

When you live on an island, the water surrounding you is just as important as the land on which you stand. The tidal creeks, beaches, and marshes lining Sapelo Island are an integral part of the residents’ heritage, history, and present lived reality. They are the access points for fishing, crabbing, and seining—and anchor points for the stories passed down through generations.

There is currently a proposal by a private landowner on Sapelo Island to build a dock adjacent to the historic Hog Hummock community. If approved, this would set a precedent for more construction that would irrevocably alter the environmental and cultural landscape of Sapelo Island. An ecosystem—one that encompasses marsh grasses, wildlife, African American history, and the future of Sapelo’s people—hangs in the balance.

Learn more about the proposed dock on SICARS’ website.

Death by 1,000 cuts

Last year, the Department of Natural Resources considered selling a portion of Butler Island, a property that is now owned by the people of Georgia and the site where more than 600 enslaved Africans once lived, for $1 to an entity that wanted to make the property a distillery. Thanks to the massive public outcry, the bill that would have enabled this sale failed to pass.

Only by having a holistic understanding of the history of places like Butler Island can we work toward an accurately-framed legacy and equitable future. We are actively partnering with the Coalition to Save Butler Island.

Partners & Organizations to know

East Coast Greenway Alliance, actively connecting people to place from Maine to Florida.
Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO), “preserving the culture, heritage, and traditions of the Saltwater Geechee people” of Sapelo Island.
Hog Hammock Community Foundation, serving the residents of Hog Hammock Community, Sapelo Island.
Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS), “preserving and revitalizing the Hogg Hummock Community which is located on Sapelo Island, Georgia.”
Coalition to Save Butler Island Plantation & House, a coalition dedicated to protecting Butler Island Plantation House and its natural environs, and Gullah Geechee/African American cultural memory.
The Darien—McIntosh Chamber of Commerce includes businesses, government, and community leaders that represent a variety of industries, as well as partners with local organizations.