Contraflow lanes on I-16 east opened Saturday morning

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Contraflow lanes on 1-16 East opened Saturday morning.

The lanes were opened to help people evacuating from the Coastal Georgia area because of Hurricane Irma.

Lanes were opened around 7:00 a.m. in Savannah. Cars were seen using the 1-16 contraflows lanes near exit 51 in Dublin around 9:00 a.m.

The Georgia Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety worked together to flip I-16 east, so cars now go west.

Kyle Collins, spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the Georgia Department of Public Safety really help with the contraflow process.

“They just ensure that we don’t have anybody try barrel through the barricade,” Collins said. “There’s still some folks who are really sure what’s going on, still thinking they can go east.”

People were diverted off I-16 East before the sun rose, so people in the Coastal Georgia areas could use the contraflow lane safely.

Not many people were using the contraflow lanes in the morning, but Collins said the traffic might pick up later on in the day.