GDOT to restore normal traffic on I-16 this afternoon

POOLER, Ga. - If you're planning to drive to Savannah Saturday morning on I-16, you won't be able to until 4 p.m. Saturday. The Georgia Department of Transportation has reversed the East bound lanes, which began at 8 am.  

With a mandatory evacuation for Chatham County going into effect Saturday morning, G-DOT expected a lot of people on the roads heading inland.  To help ease congestion, they dropped the gates on the east bound ramps, turning all lanes of I-16 from Savannah to Dublin into west bound lanes

Rodney Dailey was filling up gas cans for his generator Friday afternoon.  He says he considered leaving until the projected path of Irma changed. "We're probably only going to get 60 or 70 miles an hour winds, it's actually heading more toward Atlanta," said Dailey.

Mercy Escudero says she's not taking any chances.  She locked up her house and loaded up the family.  "Got my three cats in the back, I got my Australian Shepherd, my mom's schnauzer, my kids, my husband, two trucks. We're obviously trying to escape Hurricane Irma, very scary," said Escudero.

MORE: Get an in depth look at Irma, Harvey, and the 2017 Hurricane Season

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