Dorothy Barnes Pelote Bridge


The Dorothy Barnes Pelote Bridge is a viaduct on State Route 25 Connector in Savannah. It is located between Lathorpe Avenue and Fahm Street. It begins on the southern edge of the Port of Savannah Ocean Terminal, goes over Norfolk Southern Railway tracks that lead into the port, and passes underneath the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. Located within a short walking distance from the bridge is the Savannah post office, located at 2 North Fahm Street.

Designation

In 2006, the Georgia Legislature passed a resolution to designate the viaduct in honor of Dorothy Barnes Pelote, who was a Member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Background

Prior to entering politics, Barnes Pelote, who has Black heritage and is African Methodist Episcopalian, was a school teacher.
A Democrat, she then served as Chatham County County commissioner. In 1992, she was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives for a two-year term and was re-elected four times. She represented the Savannah-based 149th Representative District.
Barnes Pelote was noted for her efforts to promote public awareness of the dangers of ovarian cancer, as well as for proposing more unusual legislative proposals. She introduced a bill that would make it a crime for anyone to answer the door naked.