Georgia DOT fining contractor $12,500 daily after missing newest Islands Expressway deadline

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Georgia Department of Transportation said they are fining Prince Contracting, LLC $12,500 daily for not completing the Islands Expressway bridge project.

According to GDOT officials, the state entered into a revised agreement with Prince Contracting, LLC that established an August 26, 2026 completion date. Because the contractor failed to finish by that deadline, GDOT began assessing liquidated damages of $12,500 for each day of delay.

On Tuesday, it’s been 20 days since they passed the deadline, meaning the daily fines have reached $250,000. It’ll be $1 million if they don’t finish by December 4.

WTOC asked Georgia DOT if this was the final contract agreement or if they can have updated terms and agreements at a later time. They said the current agreement stands and fines will continue until the bridge is complete, as it stands right now.

However, Prince has the right to submit justification for a time extension; if granted, a new agreement would extend the current completion date.

It’s been an eight-year saga of successes and setbacks.

The infrastructure project broke ground and was designed to replace the original drawbridge connecting downtown Savannah with Whitemarsh, Wilmington, Talahi, and Tybee islands.

The initial opening date was projected for November 2021 at an estimated cost of $62 million. However, excessive settlement discovered in the east end embankment in early 2020 brought work to a near halt, requiring an extensive redesign.

One bridge was completed in 2022 and is still operational and eliminated maritime-related traffic delays, but hundreds of cones line drivers getting on and off it.

Georgia DOT initially established a revised project deadline of March 31, 2024. When Prince Contracting missed that date, the state started fining them for liquidated damages of $5,000 per day starting April 1, 2024. Those fines accumulated to more than $1.9 million by late April, but the penalties were waived after the two entities reached a fresh agreement that pushed the completion target to late August 2026.