The planned Savannah Bridge Project, officially known as the Savannah River Crossing Project, has ignited significant public discourse, largely due to the complex interplay of economic, historical, and sociopolitical factors it embodies. Among the voices contributing to this dialogue is Aberjhani, a well-known author, poet, artist, and documentarian who is also a native of Savannah, Georgia (USA). His response to the proposed plans was submitted on the project’s ABridgeTooFarSAV.org website as the period for submitting comments was coming to a close on June 5, 2024. The author’s input was further complicated by the fact that he had already composed a detailed 300-word statement before learning, during the submission process, that comments were limited to a specific number of characters that came to less than half of his response. Despite the character restrictions on the public comment portal, it is worth noting the polymath’s statement not only addresses the technical and logistical aspects of the project but also delves deeply into the historical and sociocultural implications of replacing the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge. This essay with objective ChatGPT input examines the implications of Aberjhani’s response, evaluates the validity or invalidity of his assertions, and discusses the broader political, sociological, historical, and philosophical issues associated with the Savannah River Crossing Project and the requests for public input on the same. To begin, the following is his response in full, which reportedly had to be submitted in two shortened sections. ABERJHANI’S OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO SAVANNAH RIVER CROSSING PROJECT Opportunities for Savannah-area residents to closely weigh the full implications of proposed plans to replace the “Talmadge Bridge” have been minimal and the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) insistence on moving “forward” with limited options can hardly be described as mindful of citizens’ preferences regarding the matter. Unfortunately, in truth, and tragically, many Savannahians no longer bother to comment on anything involving the “Talmadge Bridge” because something as simple as repeated requests to change the bridge’s name from one which celebrates white supremacy has been ignored for decades. A primary reason given for the planned “Savannah River Crossing Project” is that the current bridge is hurting Savannah’s economy because it cannot accommodate the passage of newer-generation cargo ships to access specific port terminals located upriver. We are told this while also hearing in media reports that our region is “booming” economically and population-wise. Perhaps both statements are true. In any event, it seems the governmental powers that be have decided the old/current bridge must go and either a new bridge (in a different location?) with a higher elevation, or a new tunnel running underneath the Savannah River, will take its place. Something so monumental is worth at least a comprehensive printed pamphlet or booklet placed in mailboxes for people to discuss and share in order to form informed opinions about it. What would such a change look like? Would the impact be similar to what Black communities on the city’s west side suffered when Savannah’s grand Union Station was torn down to make way for I-16 and decimated the once-thriving Black business district on West Broad Street (now MLK Blvd)? As much as we seem to advance when it comes to matters of digital technology and engineering, certain segments of Georgia still seem trapped in plantation-like forms of behavior and decision-making from two centuries past. That also needs to be replaced. By Aberjhani |
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