New gateway at I-185 planned for Fort Benning

By Cheryl RodewigMay 1, 2009

The main entrance to post on I-185 will no longer be just a gate but a gateway.

"Fort Benning is the premier training installation in the Army; you should know that when you're driving onto it," said Jay Brown, former Base Realignment and Closure manager.

The gateway will include a bridge over I-185 with "Fort Benning, Georgia," on one side and "Columbus, Georgia," on the other, written in bronze letters.

Fifty-foot pedestals will stand on either side of the bridge with the Follow Me Statue on one side and the Trooper of the Plains statue on the other, representing the Infantry School and Armor School, said John Flournoy, chairman of the Columbus Gateway Foundation, which has helped sponsor the project, estimated to cost more than $3.5 million.

As visitors leave Fort Benning, they will see two bald eagles, each with a 12-foot wingspan, sculpted from bronze and steel perched on the pedestals.

"You can see it as you're coming over the hill," Brown said. "For probably half a mile away, you're going to be able to see these pedestals. You don't have to guess where Fort Benning is now; you're going to know."

Planning for the construction has been an intensive process, which started more than two years ago, Flournoy said. The vision involved several people, including a Hollywood set designer who visited Fort Benning to help plan the gateway.

"It's going to be quite elegant," Flournoy said.

On each side of the road there will be 10 American flags and 10 20-foot fountains that light up at night.

"We think it needs to be very impressive," Flournoy said. "It's inspiration for people who work there, families and dignitaries who come and go - it just had to be done."

The gateway will begin near the Victory Drive overpass about half a mile in front of the access control point. The stone welcome sign to Fort Benning near the checkpoint will remain.

Construction will begin on the project within the next two weeks. It will be completed by summer 2010.