The Harry S. Truman Parkway is a north–south freeway through the Savannah metropolitan area between Georgia State Route 204 (SR 204; Abercorn Street) and President Street. Originally dubbed the Casey Canal Parkway, due to the parallel waterway, the project was renamed after former President Harry S. Truman in the early 1970s after his death in 1972. The Truman Parkway is not a state route, nor is it maintained by the GDOT: it is one of a handful of county-maintained freeways in Georgia along with the Ronald Reagan Parkway, Veterans Parkway (Southwest Bypass), and a portion of the East–West Connector in Cobb County.

Route description

Truman Parkway begins at an interchange with SR 204 (Abercorn Street) in the south side of Savannah. It has a partial interchange with White Bluff Road and then traverses a 2 mi bridge over the Vernon River. Just past the river, it has an interchange with Whitefield Avenue (Former SR 204 Spur). After an interchange with Montgomery Cross Road, it passes Lake Mayer Park and Allen Paulson Park. Then, it passes the Georgia Regional Medical Center just before a partial interchange with Eisenhower Drive and Beaumont Drive. The parkway curves to the northwest, passing the Bacon Park Tennis Complex, before skirting along the northeast edge of Bacon Park. After that, it meets its first major interchange, that with DeRenne Avenue. This road is a major highway in southern Savannah and leads to Interstate 516 (I-516). Then, the parkway begins traveling in a north-northeast orientation. After passing Memorial University Medical Center is an interchange with Delesseps Avenue. Just east of Daffin Park is an interchange with US 80/SR 26 (Victory Drive). It then begins to travel to the north-northwest and has an interchange with Anderson, Henry, and Wheaton Streets. After this, it skirts along the southwestern edge of Hillcrest Cemetery before curving to the north-northeast. Then, the parkway meets its northern terminus, an interchange with President Street just south of the Savannah River. All of the Harry Truman Parkway is part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.

History

1925: 1953 1954 Thomas and Hutton Engineers recommended that the parkway run from Henry Street to DeRenne Avenue. 1955 1958 1960 1961 1962 1964 1965 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1976 1977 The Savannah Morning News ran a five-part series looking at the 25-year history of the parkway and all its facets to date. Opponents called for a referendum on the parkway. Those same opponents called the Savannah News-Press series "one-sided" and "dreadfully lacking" the views of the opposition. County Commission Chairman Shelby Myrick said that Georgia law does not allow for such a referendum. 1978 1979

Recent expansion

The fifth and final phase of the Truman Parkway extension project opened to traffic on March 14, 2014 at 9:40 a.m. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on February 28, 2014, at 3:30 p.m.

Exit list