F.J. Torras Causeway
Encyclopedia
F.J. Torras Causeway is a causeway
located in Glynn County
, Georgia, USA that connects the city of Brunswick, GA
to St. Simons Island, GA.
. It travels approximately 4.2 miles over a salt marsh
and a series of five tidal river
s before reaching Gascoigne Bluff
on the western edge of St. Simons Island. The Torras Causeway is recognized as a state highway, yet it has never been signed as such. It's official highway designation is GA25-Spur E.
Prior to the construction of the Torras Causeway, the only way to reach St. Simons Island was by a ferry
that left from a dock in Brunswick and arrived at a pier on the southern tip of the island. The trip to St. Simons took about an hour by ferry, and the people of Brunswick spoke for years about building a causeway for automobiles. An attempt was once made a few miles north of Brunswick, but it was abandoned. Another survey had been made which would have extended Cypress Mill Rd. in Brunswick across the marsh, making contact with St. Simons at present day Fort Frederica National Monument
. But the task of building a causeway to St. Simons was deemed to be impossible.
Fernando Torras, who graduated as an engineer from Georgia Tech and had built rail lines, bridges, and roads in the jungles of South America
, took a keen interest in the idea of a causeway. He conducted a survey of the marshy landscape at the request of Brunswick mayor Malcolm B. McKinnon and determined the best possible route. Torras served as the Chief Engineer on the project. The causeway was completed in 1924 after 13 months of work at a cost of more than $418,000 (approximately $, adjusted for inflation).
The new causeway was an immediate sensation for all of Glynn County. On the day that it opened, 5,500 cars crossed over to St. Simons, and 7,500 people were fed a fish dinner under some live oak trees. There was also a parade on Gloucester St. in Brunswick with floats that celebrated the opening of the causeway.
As Fernando Torras was the main catalyst to imagine and create the causeway, it was in January 1953 (a year after he died and 29 years after it opened) that the causeway was named for him.
held on Sea Island, GA in 2004, which is also reached by the Torras Causeway. The structure was entirely removed in 2006. The only remaining landmark is a tall streetlight which once illuminated the toll plaza area.
". Fishing and crabbing from several of the bridges is also a common pastime for locals.
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
located in Glynn County
Glynn County, Georgia
Glynn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 67,568. The 2008 Census Estimate showed a population of 75,884...
, Georgia, USA that connects the city of Brunswick, GA
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
to St. Simons Island, GA.
Route Description
F.J. Torras Causeway is a four lane paved road, with a concrete barrier in the center to separate the traffic lanes. The causeway begins its journey toward St. Simons in Brunswick, GA, branching off of US Hwy 17U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...
. It travels approximately 4.2 miles over a salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
and a series of five tidal river
Tidal river
A tidal river is a river, or more typically a stretch of a river, whose flow and level is influenced by tides. An example of a tidal river is the portion of the Connecticut River flowing from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, to the Atlantic Ocean. The Brisbane River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean...
s before reaching Gascoigne Bluff
Gascoigne Bluff
Gascoigne Bluff is a bluff next to the Frederica River on the western side of the island of St. Simons which was a Native American campground, the site of a Franciscan monastery named San Buenaventura, and the site of the Province of Georgia's first naval base....
on the western edge of St. Simons Island. The Torras Causeway is recognized as a state highway, yet it has never been signed as such. It's official highway designation is GA25-Spur E.
History
F.J. Torras Causeway is named for Fernando Joseph Torras (1885–1952), the causeway's main engineer who served as Brunswick's city manager for over 30 years.Prior to the construction of the Torras Causeway, the only way to reach St. Simons Island was by a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
that left from a dock in Brunswick and arrived at a pier on the southern tip of the island. The trip to St. Simons took about an hour by ferry, and the people of Brunswick spoke for years about building a causeway for automobiles. An attempt was once made a few miles north of Brunswick, but it was abandoned. Another survey had been made which would have extended Cypress Mill Rd. in Brunswick across the marsh, making contact with St. Simons at present day Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Frederica National Monument, on St. Simons Island, Georgia, preserves the archaeological remnants of a fort and town built by James Oglethorpe between 1736 and 1748 to protect the southern boundary of the British colony of Georgia from Spanish raids. About 630 British troops were stationed at...
. But the task of building a causeway to St. Simons was deemed to be impossible.
Fernando Torras, who graduated as an engineer from Georgia Tech and had built rail lines, bridges, and roads in the jungles of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, took a keen interest in the idea of a causeway. He conducted a survey of the marshy landscape at the request of Brunswick mayor Malcolm B. McKinnon and determined the best possible route. Torras served as the Chief Engineer on the project. The causeway was completed in 1924 after 13 months of work at a cost of more than $418,000 (approximately $, adjusted for inflation).
The new causeway was an immediate sensation for all of Glynn County. On the day that it opened, 5,500 cars crossed over to St. Simons, and 7,500 people were fed a fish dinner under some live oak trees. There was also a parade on Gloucester St. in Brunswick with floats that celebrated the opening of the causeway.
As Fernando Torras was the main catalyst to imagine and create the causeway, it was in January 1953 (a year after he died and 29 years after it opened) that the causeway was named for him.
Toll
A $.35 toll was once collected about halfway onto the causeway. The toll was done away with in 2003, but part of the toll booth remained in place to serve as a security post during the 30th G8 Summit30th G8 summit
The 30th G8 summit took place in Sea Island, Georgia, United States, on June 8 – June 10, 2004.-Overview:The Group of Seven was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and...
held on Sea Island, GA in 2004, which is also reached by the Torras Causeway. The structure was entirely removed in 2006. The only remaining landmark is a tall streetlight which once illuminated the toll plaza area.
Recreation
Aside from being the only road to and from St. Simons, Torras Causeway provides several opportunities for recreation. A paved biking/walking path runs the 4.2 mile length of the causeway. The path is a wonderful way to view the expansive salt marsh, rivers, and wildlife of the "Marshes of GlynnThe Marshes of Glynn
The Marshes of Glynn is one of Sidney Lanier's poems featured in "Hymns of the Marshes," an unfinished set of lyrical nature poems that describe the open salt marshes of Glynn County in coastal Georgia. The poem describes a marsh in detail, while evoking senses of patience and common decency.In...
". Fishing and crabbing from several of the bridges is also a common pastime for locals.