Hurricane Irma to close Savannah’s Talmadge Bridge

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge that links Savannah to South Carolina’s Lowcountry will close at noon on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, according to Chatham Emergency Management Agency in Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Transportation expects high winds from Hurricane Irma will make the bridge hazardous, CEMA officials said late Saturday

The bridge normally closes when sustained tropical storm winds hit at 39 mph.

Georgia DOT said in a news release that motorists would find it difficult “to navigate vehicles across the bridge in conditions with the high wind levels anticipated from Hurricane Irma.”

Chelsea Sawyer, an emergency management specialist with CEMA, said she did not know how long the bridge would remain closed. She recommended that drivers follow CEMA on social media or local news sources for the lastest news about the bridge.

When asked if the bridge could open intermittently depending on conditions, Sawyer said “We’re not ruling out that possibility.”

Georgia is also closing the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick and Glynn counties in the face of Hurricane Irma.

This story was originally published September 9, 2017 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Hurricane Irma to close Savannah’s Talmadge Bridge."