Most of what looks different on McWhorter Drive this fall is groundwork for something that doesn't exist yet. The lower speed limit near the causeway was set for a traffic signal that hasn't been built. The cleared pine stand south of the marine campus is where a longleaf forest will be planted next spring. Seen that way, the odd details along the road make sense as the first steps of projects that will take well into 2027 to finish.
Taken one project at a time, here is what each change is for and when the next step comes.
The 40-mph stretch was set for a future signal
Several residents asked The Landings Association about the speed limit on McWhorter, and on September 23, 2026 the Association posted Chatham County's answer. The County meant to drop the limit from 50 to 40 mph only on the section between Diamond Causeway and Westridge Road. The County made the change ahead of a planned traffic signal where Diamond Causeway, McWhorter Drive, and Green Island Road meet.
The confusion came from a missing sign. A replacement 50-mph sign that should have gone up near Westridge Road was never installed, so drivers had no signal that the lower limit ended there. County staff found the gap during an inspection. Chatham County Public Works says the new sign is ready and will go in once the required utility locates are done. The Association's notice gives no installation date.
Until that sign goes up, the posted signs don't fully match what the County intended. North of Westridge Road, the limit is still meant to be 50.
What the four-way stop is supposed to become
The four-way stop at Diamond Causeway and McWhorter is the reason for the speed change. Chatham County Engineering is leading the project, which its project page lists as in Final Design. Based on the County's page and a June 17, 2026 update from The Landings Association, the package includes:
- A traffic signal in place of the four-way stop, plus intersection lighting
- Right-turn lanes on Diamond Causeway and on McWhorter Drive
- Overhead directional signs
- Detection technology meant to manage traffic flow and respond to backups near the gates
- A new multi-use path segment along Diamond Causeway
In a January 2025 response to public comments, the County explained how the design came about. Traffic analyses finished in October 2024 led to the signal and extra turn lanes, including a right-turn lane onto Green Island Road, and the plan added pedestrian signal equipment for safety.
In June, the Association described the signal as having a "late 2026 timeline." The phrase doesn't say whether late 2026 is when construction starts or when the signal turns on. The Association's September notice still calls the signal "future" and gives no new schedule. No cost for the signal appears on the County's project page.
The Association has also asked the County to hold a community town hall this fall, so residents can hear from the project team, look at the plans, and ask questions. It will share the time and place once they are set. The Association's notes are clear that timing, scope, and construction decisions belong to Chatham County and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The path segment at the intersection is one piece of a larger plan. The separate Green Island Multi-Use Path along Diamond Causeway is scheduled for GDOT letting in November 2027. Letting is when a project goes out for contractor bids, so construction would start after that. Its design calls for saving trees, adding landscaping, and using low-level lighting.
The cleared pine stand is the start of a longleaf forest
Farther north, the change along McWhorter is in the woods. In January, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography announced a Georgia Forestry Commission project on about 75 acres of planted loblolly pine on the UGA Skidaway Marine Science Campus. The site runs along McWhorter Drive for about a mile south of the campus buildings.
The plan has three steps spread over more than a year:
- Clearcut harvest. Set to begin January 5, 2026 and expected to take about six weeks. No public notice has confirmed that the harvest is finished.
- A one-day prescribed burn in October 2026. The date will be chosen only a few days ahead, based on the weather and conditions needed for a safe, effective burn.
- Replanting with longleaf pine in spring 2027.
Longleaf pine is native to the Southeast. The project notice says it provides key habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including the gopher tortoise, the indigo snake, and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The cleared land is the middle stage of that swap from loblolly to longleaf.
The burn is the step most likely to affect a drive in October. Warning signs will go up along the road near the burn area, and smoke may drift. Drivers are asked to turn on headlights and go slowly through any smoke, and residents are asked to stay away from the fire and not try to help. Officials don't expect traffic disruptions. Forestry Commission staff will watch the fire until it is completely out. The Institute said it would post specific dates as they are set.
October 10 at the north end of the road
McWhorter ends at the marine campus, and on one Saturday this fall the whole campus is open to the public. Skidaway Marine Science Day runs Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's free and hosted by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The listed venue is the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium at 30 Ocean Science Circle.
The day includes:
- UGA Aquarium with no admission fee, a hands-on reptile exhibit, behind-the-scenes looks, and lab demos on the dock behind the building
- Shellfish Research Lab hands-on activities on sustainable aquaculture and oyster restoration
- R/V Gannet tours of Gray's Reef's 52-foot research vessel, built in 2023
- The bluff next to the aquarium with exhibits from environmental groups and coastal researchers, and the Jay Wolf Nature Trail open for hiking
Food will be for sale. Questions go to Shannon Matzke at 912-598-2446. The open house falls in the same month as the planned burn. The burn date is set on short notice, so check the Institute's announcements before heading north that weekend.
Landings Harbor is doing the same thing
The same step-by-step approach is under way at the water. In its September 17 update, Landings Harbor Marina said phase four of its dry rack project is tentatively set to begin October 26, 2026. Marina staff were scheduled to assemble ground racks in late September to hold boats moved out of the building being replaced. Once the new rack buildings are up, those same ground racks will store boats on the bottom level. The marina expects the final phase to be done by the end of January 2027. The marina is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The calendar, in order
The dates line up like this. The ones marked tentative or approximate come from sources that described them that way.
| When | What | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pending utility locates | 50-mph sign reinstalled near Westridge Road | No date given |
| Late September | Marina staff were scheduled to assemble ground racks | Scheduled |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | Skidaway Marine Science Day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Scheduled, free |
| A single day in October | Prescribed burn on about 75 acres along McWhorter | Date set a few days ahead |
| Oct. 26 | Marina dry rack phase four begins | Tentative |
| This fall | County town hall on road and path projects | Requested by the Association |
| Late 2026 | Signal at Diamond Causeway, McWhorter, and Green Island Road | Start or finish unclear |
| End of January 2027 | Marina dry rack project complete | Expected |
| Spring 2027 | Longleaf pine replanting | Planned |
| November 2027 | Green Island Multi-Use Path goes out for GDOT bids | Scheduled |
Most of these projects finish in 2027. For now, the new speed limit and the cleared land are the parts residents can see; marina staff were scheduled to assemble the ground racks in late September, while the signal, the new rack buildings, and the young pines are still to come.
If you'd like to talk through how the signal, the path, or any of these projects might affect your part of Skidaway Island, Marjorie Wester keeps up with these updates and is happy to share what she's learning. Let's Connect.
