SPRINGFIELD, Ga. – With Phase 1 of the Goshen Road widening project already moving through the right-of-way acquisition process, Effingham County officials are turning their attention to Phase 2 and will host a 5:30 p.m. May 21 public town hall at the county’s administrative complex, 804 S. Laurel St. in Springfield to update residents on the project.
The meeting will focus on right-of-way acquisition plans for the section of Goshen Road between the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks and State Route 21, where county officials say impacts to most properties will be minimal.
The meeting comes as discussion about the project has picked up online, with some residents questioning how much land the county plans to acquire and whether homeowners are being properly notified.
Effingham County Communications Director Jake Ziegler said the county has been contacting affected residents directly through certified letters and door hangers ahead of the meeting.
“At the town halls, engineers are there, and you can give them your address, and they will show you the plat,” Ziegler said. “They will show you exactly what work needs to be done or what work we’re requesting to do.”
According to the county, only 45 of the 77 properties along the Phase 2 corridor are expected to require any additional right-of-way. In many cases, Ziegler said, the county is only seeking temporary easements so contractors can reconnect driveways properly during construction.
“Most of the properties, we’re only going to need an additional foot or two, if any,” he said.
Ziegler said much of the concern surrounding the project appears to stem from misinformation spreading online.
“I think it probably would be a good idea to go ahead and correct the narrative,” he said. “The scope of this project, as far as right-of-way is concerned, is minimal.”
Phase 2 work planned for 2028
Construction on Phase 2 is currently scheduled to begin in spring 2028 and wrap up in spring 2029.
The project will widen Goshen Road, add a center turn lane and eventually include a multiuse trail for pedestrians and bicyclists.
County officials said the trail portion of Phase 2 may be constructed separately from the road widening itself, although enough right-of-way is being secured now to allow the trail to be added later.
Ziegler described Goshen Road as one of the county’s most important east-west traffic corridors and said the project is aimed at improving both safety and traffic flow.
“It’s the main east-west corridor,” he said.
The work also includes strengthening the roadway itself.
“These roads aren’t just being widened, but they’re being thickened,” Ziegler said. “They’ll last longer, and they can support more traffic.”
Phase 1 already moving forward
Meanwhile, right-of-way acquisition is already underway for Phase 1, which stretches from Hodgeville Road to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.
A public town hall for that phase was held last September, and Ziegler said most of the needed right-of-way acquisition has already been completed.
Construction on Phase 1 is expected to begin in fall 2026 and be completed in fall 2027.
Like Phase 2, the first phase will widen the roadway, add a center turn lane and include a multiuse trail.
Ziegler said county officials scaled back the amount of right-of-way requested after hearing concerns from residents during earlier public meetings.
“Citizens said that they would prefer that the project scope had less right-of-way, so we made that adjustment across the entire project,” he said.
He noted that reducing the amount of right-of-way could make it more difficult for county crews to access drainage ditches, sidewalks and trails for future maintenance work.
Roundabouts also taking shape
Separate roundabout projects tied to the Goshen Road corridor are also underway.
The roundabout at Effingham Parkway is expected to be completed in July 2026, while the roundabout at Hodgeville Road is projected to be finished by December.
Ziegler said traffic backups at the Hodgeville Road intersection have become a growing problem, especially during peak travel times.
“It took me longer to wait to turn left there than it did to drive from my house to that roundabout,” he said.
