A red semi leads a line of traffic down an interstate highway.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has begun work to reconfigure the Interstate 16 interchange with Interstate 95 east of Savannah and widen the I-16 corridor into Savannah. This poses a safety concern for drivers. This section of I-16 has heavy commercial truck traffic and the highway construction creates hazards conducive to truck accidents.

Georgia DOT will close multiple interstate lanes and ramps and institute detours throughout the project, which involves building an innovative configuration of access ramps connecting I-16 and I-95. The project, which includes reconstructing, replacing, or building 10 bridges, is more than a year behind schedule and is currently set to be completed in 2023.

The Savannah area is a hot zone for large truck accidents because of the presence of two interstates and the busy shipping port. Interstate construction zones add to the danger because narrowed traffic lanes and temporary routes create bottlenecks, traffic slow-downs, and drivers traveling at different speeds. Truck drivers who are speeding, driving distracted, or driving fatigued – all common causes of truck accidents – may take too long to recognize what’s happening ahead and cause a serious accident.

The experienced Savannah truck accident lawyers of the Spiva Law Group in Georgia will respond promptly if you have been seriously injured in a Georgia truck accident on Interstate 16. Trucks servicing the Port of Savannah are typically owned by corporate motor carriers that have large investments to protect after a truck crash. They often move quickly to close truck accident claims with outright denials or high-pressure low-ball settlement offers.

Our attorneys have been securing full and fair compensation for truck accident victims for more than 30 years. Spiva Law Group can investigate your truck accident and fight for you to receive full reimbursement for your losses.

What to Expect from I-16 Project Work Zones Around Georgia

For the next few years, drivers should expect work zones on Interstate 16 outside of Savannah between Milepost 156 and MP 164, including at intersections with Pooler Parkway, I-95, Dean Forest Road, Chatham Parkway, and Interstate 516. Interstate 95 will be affected from MP 98 to MP 100, or roughly between U.S. 80 to the north and GA 204 to the south. Lanes and segments of the highway will be closed, re-routed, and reopened as construction zones are set up, reconfigured, and moved as work progresses.

Highway construction zones must be designed to control traffic as it moves through designated work areas.

An Interstate 16 work zone should:

Provide advance warning of reduced speed zone
Warn of lane closures and detours and allow room for traffic to slow and merge
Direct the flow of traffic while keeping it separate from workers and construction equipment
Allow space for vehicles to increase speed as they return to the regular highway route.

A work or construction zone may use barriers, signs, and/or lights to direct and channel traffic. Sometimes flaggers or lead vehicles control the start, stop, and flow of traffic throughout the work area. But above all, it is the responsibility of drivers, including truck drivers, to slow down, remain alert, and follow directions to travel the Interstate 16 work zone safely.

Understanding Road Construction and Truck Accidents on Interstate 16

The problem with large trucks and highway construction zones is that trucks require much more room to slow down than passenger cars. Tractor trailers, tanker trucks, and other large trucks also have higher centers of gravity. That causes them to be less stable and more likely to sway or rock due to quick lane shifts or uneven pavement, such as crossover slopes in a construction zone. Shifting cargo on a truck, especially liquid loads carried by tankers, can throw a truck off balance if it swerves or brakes suddenly, leading to a rollover accident.

A truck driver may lose control of their rig if the driver approaches an Interstate 16 work zone unaware of what’s ahead or fails to slow down to accommodate slower-moving traffic. Trucks have numerous large blind spots that can make it harder to see other vehicles when they merge to accommodate lane closings.

According to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, large trucks and commercial buses are involved in more than 30% of fatal work zone crashes on urban interstates and more than 50% of fatal work zone crashes on rural interstates. Not only are truck-involved fatal work zone crashes increasing year by year, but their involvement as a percentage of all fatal work zone crashes is also increasing.

In Georgia in 2019, there were 49 fatal crashes in work zones, which caused 52 deaths, including 13 work zone workers. Of these accidents, 14 crashes involved trucks (28.5%) and caused 15 deaths (28.8%). Contact our Interstate 16 truck accident lawyer today.

Our Interstate 16 Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help

Our Savannah truck accident attorneys can act quickly after an accident in an Interstate 16 work zone to preserve and secure physical evidence that can show what happened. If contacted promptly, our legal team can examine a work zone before it is dismantled and secure access to the crashed truck and trucking company maintenance records. We will document the accident scene and interview crash witnesses while their memories are still fresh.

By securing access to the crashed truck and its “black box” event data recorder (EDR), we can download and analyze data from the moments before and after the crash, such as:

Vehicle speed
Engine speed
Throttle (gas pedal) position
Brake status
Clutch status
Cruise control status
Steering angle
Forward-collision warnings
Lane-departure warnings
Sudden deceleration/acceleration
Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) warnings of abnormal conditions in multiple truck systems
GPS-based positional data.

The types of evidence that our investigators know to look for can tell us how and why the crash occurred. When necessary, we work with accident reconstruction engineers who use advanced forensic techniques to determine what happened.

With evidence of the truck driver’s or another party’s liability paired with an accounting of your costs and losses due to your injuries, we can submit a demand for full compensation to the responsible insurance company on your behalf. If we cannot negotiate an acceptable settlement for you, we will be fully prepared to file a lawsuit and prevail in court.

Contact Our Interstate 16 Truck Accident Attorneys

Contact Spiva Law Group as soon as possible if you or a loved one of yours has been injured in an I-16 work zone crash involving a commercial truck. Speak to a lawyer before signing or agreeing to anything presented by the insurance company on behalf of a commercial trucking company.

Call us or contact us online for our Savanna Interstate 16 truck accident attorneys to set up a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case. Please contact Spiva Law Group as soon as you are able.