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Georgia

Started by Bryant5493, March 27, 2009, 09:30:11 PM

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Alex

Quote from: Tomahawkin on November 14, 2022, 10:08:12 AM
Not surprised at IH 20 Being on there considering all the Freeway shootings that happen on 20 in the Atlanta area.

Interstate 20 apparently has a history with shootings. Does anyone recall the I-20 Sniper incidents from February 1987?



I saw this while dubbing some VHS tapes for my friend Matt earlier this year. This screen shot was from Channel 2 Action News where a high school kid got caught shooting at cars, and they determined that he was not the "I-20 Sniper".


Ted$8roadFan

Quote from: adventurernumber1 on October 17, 2022, 12:09:45 AM
Quote from: Tomahawkin on October 16, 2022, 09:00:58 PM
For the love of God, can GDOT start plans to widen IH 75 to 8 lanes from Kennesaw up to Chattanooga? My goodness it was irritating to drive through there on a Sunday night because of all the Truck Traffic. The Chattanooga area has moved up to places I avoid to drive through because of the Traffic!

IIRC, I have seen it is in GDOT's long-term plans (maybe the next 10-30 years) to widen that section of I-75 to eight lanes. Hopefully it'll be more like 10 years than 30 years (or even sooner), because the area only continues to grow (and ditto for long-distance traffic on the road), and the traffic can be cumbersome at times.

Having experienced Atlanta-area traffic last month, I agree GA needs to expand all of its interstates that flow to and through the city and beyond.

Voyager75

Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That aside, these overheads have held up remarkably well.

architect77

Quote from: Voyager75 on December 27, 2022, 10:16:58 PM
Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That aside, these overheads have held up remarkably well.

A removed state highway shield isn't what's so remakrable about this photo. It's the cantilevered support that GDOT completely stopped erecting 20 years ago after the Jimmy Carter overhead fell and killed someone. These cantilevered supports should be re-embraced because they are cheaper, obstruct less view of the sky and surrounding landscape, and are downright elegant in their simple engineering physicality.

The only downside is that the bolts connecting the base to the ground foundation must be inspected every 5-10 years to ensure safety.

I hate seeing a rural exit on an interstate in Georgia with a small overhead sign that's supported on both sides. It's just irks me to no end.

Alex

Quote from: Voyager75 on December 27, 2022, 10:16:58 PM
Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That was for SR 94, which was truncated to the east after 2004.



01/16/14

roadwaywiz95

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D-Dey65

Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?


Dirt Roads

Quote from: D-Dey65 on January 09, 2023, 04:08:57 PM
Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?

No rails at this location.  Not sure what railroad that was, but it ran roughly parallel to the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railway (which is still operating).  Your railroad here has been abandoned, but there are sections of track still in place at various places and even some crossing panels still remain in a few roads.  All of the rails are gone at the various crossings where the line crossed GA-193 at grade.  For the record, most railroads will indicate that the State owns the railroad crossing and all warning devices, so it is the responsibility of the State to pay the Railroad for the removal of said appurtenances when the railroad is abandoned.  That's not going to happen, folks.  The State will pay for the removal of rails through the former crossings in order to simplify road maintenance.

Bobby5280

I'm surprised any railroad company, property owner or the state bothers to leave any rails in place on a stretch of decommissioned rail line. The steel in old rails can be recycled; it does have a dollar value to it. Rails are harder to dig out of a paved railroad crossing, but I see that done sometimes. If they deem it to be not worth the trouble they might pave new layers of asphalt over it.

We have a few decommissioned rail lines around here. Some leave little evidence they previously existed other than a raised berm and maybe rows of trees and bushes growing up alongside it. The rails get ripped out along with the metal fasteners and spikes. And then they even plow up the wooden sleepers too. One line here going South out of Lawton toward Walters is like that.

The lighted railroad crossing signals have substantial value, especially the ones with overhead gantries. Any along decommissioned track usually disappear in short order, either to be re-used elsewhere (or for spare parts) or be scrapped/recycled. ODOT and county road crews are usually good at getting rid of crossbucks on wood posts too.

Rothman

Up here in NY, CSX was hoping to sell a line heading north out of Syracuse to another railway.  They were letting crossings and the like fall into disrepair in anticipation of whatevee the deal was going to be.  Deal fell through and CSX is now scrambing with the maintenance backlog.

The way private rail companies manage their aasets -- whether active or decommissioned -- is intriguing, but it's all about following the money and reading the tea leaves about demand in the future.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Dirt Roads

Quote from: Bobby5280 on January 10, 2023, 12:03:34 PM
I'm surprised any railroad company, property owner or the state bothers to leave any rails in place on a stretch of decommissioned rail line. The steel in old rails can be recycled; it does have a dollar value to it. Rails are harder to dig out of a paved railroad crossing, but I see that done sometimes. If they deem it to be not worth the trouble they might pave new layers of asphalt over it.

Two issues here:  (1) The last railroad entity might not have any money left to bother picking out salvageable assets; or (2) some or all of the railroad right-of-way is on property where the ownership reverts back to the "original" adjacent property owners when the rail is removed. 

There have been numerous cases of where only one rail was salvaged and the other left intact in order to maintain a legal property rights for the railroad corridor.  Many states (perhaps all of them now) have special legislation to "railbank" certain properties in order to keep them from falling into the hands of the "original" owners. 

Voyager75

Quote from: D-Dey65 on January 09, 2023, 04:08:57 PM
Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?


Started looking along this old line and here's another south of the above pic along GA-193. One had a rare light on top of the pole which was for the hill and curve I guess.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fHMnCobiiXnrftui8?g_st=ic

Then just as I was about to move along...crap! It's like a peeping tom.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uzby5DhGXX86Wq4Z6?g_st=ic

Again, this one is sitting well off the road for the curve. I'm super shocked these haven't been dismantled by hardcore railroad enthusiasts in the middle of the night. Especially the one sitting in the middle of shrubbery. I know they don't "just come down"  but piece by piece it could be done.


Henry

#1212
Quote from: Alex on December 29, 2022, 12:44:26 PM
Quote from: Voyager75 on December 27, 2022, 10:16:58 PM
Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That was for SR 94, which was truncated to the east after 2004.



01/16/14
GA 38 is co-signed with US 84 throughout the state, so it still meets I-75 at the interchange above, but just not signed on the Interstate itself.

Also, what irks me the most about freeway signs is the additional EXIT on the bottom of signs where the word is already used on the top. Other states don't do it unless the interchange is unnumbered, so this is annoying as hell.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Georgia

Voyager-that last picture was taken right near a house. If a car stopped along the road at night to go get that assembly, and in that area, i would expect that homeowner to come out on his porch armed to "investigate"

Dirt Roads

Quote from: D-Dey65 on January 09, 2023, 04:08:57 PM
Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?

Quote from: Dirt Roads on January 09, 2023, 06:09:54 PM
No rails at this location.  Not sure what railroad that was, but it ran roughly parallel to the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railway (which is still operating).  Your railroad here has been abandoned, but there are sections of track still in place at various places and even some crossing panels still remain in a few roads.  All of the rails are gone at the various crossings where the line crossed GA-193 at grade.  For the record, most railroads will indicate that the State owns the railroad crossing and all warning devices, so it is the responsibility of the State to pay the Railroad for the removal of said appurtenances when the railroad is abandoned.  That's not going to happen, folks.  The State will pay for the removal of rails through the former crossings in order to simplify road maintenance.

Finally found this one.  This was a different branch of the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia (TAG) Railway, which were the same folks that originally owned the parallel line that I mentioned above. But the correct name of the other TAG line just to the east of here is Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway.  Both lines ran between Chattanooga and LaFayette, but this abandoned line ran down to Kensington near the west portal of the Pigeon Mountain Tunnel.  And it looks like this line was also operated by the Chatooga & Chickamauga.  It operated until 2009 when a Reichold Latex plant in Kensington (owned by Dow Chemical) was shuttered.

Bobby5280

Quote from: RothmanUp here in NY, CSX was hoping to sell a line heading north out of Syracuse to another railway.  They were letting crossings and the like fall into disrepair in anticipation of whatevee the deal was going to be.  Deal fell through and CSX is now scrambing with the maintenance backlog.

During my childhood we lived in the Syracuse suburb of Liverpool for a couple years. I remember the trains back then had Conrail branding. I think CSX was just getting started at that time.

Quote from: Dirt RoadsTwo issues here:  (1) The last railroad entity might not have any money left to bother picking out salvageable assets; or (2) some or all of the railroad right-of-way is on property where the ownership reverts back to the "original" adjacent property owners when the rail is removed.

Here in Oklahoma the former rail line ROW usually does just that, revert to previous property owners or the existing adjacent property owners. Even in those cases it might be worth it. Steel prices are pretty freaking high right now. Still, it's not hard to find abandoned track with the rails still there just left to rust.

architect77

Do you think it's possible to watch a 1926 silent movie and actually enjoy it?

Well, I did because to win the girl of his affection, the short, loveable Buster Keaton exudes all the comedic emotions necessary as he defends his train engine, The General, from Union soldiers who steal it on the Chattanooga to Marietta railway during the Civil War.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzspLWK9FEc

You won't get quick, instant laughs, but if patient, you will really enjoy this comedy production from beginning to end. It's amazing how much can be conveyed without words. There's very little sentences displayed on the screen, and this actor was famous for a reason, and he performed some dangerous stunts with perfection.

Dirt Roads

^^^ And, of course, that one is a third parallel line - the Western & Atlantic, which became part of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway (and later part of the Louisville & Nashville, a predecessor of CSXT).

Rothman

Quote from: architect77 on January 11, 2023, 03:53:01 PM
Do you think it's possible to watch a 1926 silent movie and actually enjoy it?

Well, I did because to win the girl of his affection, the short, loveable Buster Keaton exudes all the comedic emotions necessary as he defends his train engine, The General, from Union soldiers who steal it on the Chattanooga to Marietta railway during the Civil War.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzspLWK9FEc

You won't get quick, instant laughs, but if patient, you will really enjoy this comedy production from beginning to end. It's amazing how much can be conveyed without words. There's very little sentences displayed on the screen, and this actor was famous for a reason, and he performed some dangerous stunts with perfection.
Good movie, but promoted The Lost Cause view of the war.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Tom958

Saturday morning I drove US 129-441 between Eatonton and I-20, which is finally being widened. I'd read that it'd have a 32-foot median instead of the usual 44, and I'd assumed that the narrower median would be used to allow the second roadway to hug the existing one as has been done on other projects with the reduced-width median (e.g. GA 133). In fact, though, the new roadway crosses the old more times than I could easily count, and the ROW width seems to be quite extravagant even where the new roadway parallels the existing one. I can't see that reducing the median by twelve feet is significant in any way.

Of course, the part that's most advanced in construction is in the middle, but the northern end is further along than the southern end. I hold out some hope that the northern half of the project could open in a year and a half or so, with the southern half following sometime later.

roadman65

Quote from: Henry on January 10, 2023, 07:49:26 PM
Quote from: Alex on December 29, 2022, 12:44:26 PM
Quote from: Voyager75 on December 27, 2022, 10:16:58 PM
Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That was for SR 94, which was truncated to the east after 2004.



01/16/14
GA 38 is co-signed with US 84 throughout the state, so it still meets I-75 at the interchange above, but just not signed on the Interstate itself.

Also, what irks me the most about freeway signs is the additional EXIT on the bottom of signs where the word is already used on the top. Other states don't do it unless the interchange is unnumbered, so this is annoying as hell.

The worst is GA rest areas are Exit x miles.  They're not exits as they connect to no other road.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Tom958

Months later:

Quote from: Henry on January 10, 2023, 07:49:26 PM
Also, what irks me the most about freeway signs is the additional EXIT on the bottom of signs where the word is already used on the top. Other states don't do it unless the interchange is unnumbered, so this is annoying as hell.

Oh, it used to be far worse. In addition to appearing on then-new signs, the redundant EXIT was retrofitted onto existing signs, with the original text moved rightward to make room for it only if there wasn't enough room for the new text. so, in addition to the annoying redundancy, the great majority of such signs were crappily asymmetric as well. Someone told me that it was the personal diktat of Tom Moreland, the legendary DOT commissioner, which I have no trouble believing because if he opposed it it wouldn't have happened.

I think that a few examples still exist, but, if so, they won't be around for long.


Tom958

#1222
Have we discussed this before? Maybe it was just on Facebook. Anyway, this is from the 1962 Rand McNally atlas. As you can see, I-75 was supposedly routed along the fairly-new but free-access US 19-41 from Griffin to Forest Park where it became Atlanta's South Expressway, with the proposed new-terrain I-75 running by Barnesville and Griffin to tie into it. As infeasible as such an upgrade seems, it might've actually been the plan: an underutilized new-terrain segment of US 41 was built from Barnesville to Griffin on what must've been right-of-way purchased for I-75. Bizarrely, the official state map once showed it as GA 333, which is the same number given initially to the relocated US 19 from Albany nearly to the Florida line.

Also on this bit of mapping, note the gap in the proposed route of I-20 through Rockdale County. It took me way too long to figure this out, but what's now I-20 through Rockdale County was built in the early fifties as a two-lane, free-access relocation of US 278. Once it was decided to put I-20 there, frontage roads and interchanges were expeditiously built before the expense of doing so became prohibitive. This 1962 aerial shows brand-new I-20 from downtown Atlanta tying into two-lane US 278, with the Turner Hill road interchange under construction.

So, absurd as it may seem, if Georgia did this successfully in Rockdale, it's conceivable that they intended to do it between Griffin and Forest Park as well. If so, though, I suspect that the opening of the Atlanta International Raceway with its catastrophic effect on race-day traffic must've killed off whatever viability the concept may have still had. The 1964 Rand McNally showed I-75 as it actually ended up being built. As a final footnote, though, the closing Stockbridge-to-US 19-41 link of I-75 wasn't finished until 1970, but that US 41-GA 333 four-lane I mentioned was finished a couple of years sooner. I can't imagine an acceptable rationale for that.


Dirt Roads

Quote from: Henry on January 10, 2023, 07:49:26 PM
Also, what irks me the most about freeway signs is the additional EXIT on the bottom of signs where the word is already used on the top. Other states don't do it unless the interchange is unnumbered, so this is annoying as hell.

Quote from: Tom958 on May 07, 2023, 07:49:18 AM
Oh, it used to be far worse. In addition to appearing on then-new signs, the redundant EXIT was retrofitted onto existing signs, with the original text moved rightward to make room for it only if there wasn't enough room for the new text. so, in addition to the annoying redundancy, the great majority of such signs were crappily asymmetric as well. Someone told me that it was the personal diktat of Tom Moreland, the legendary DOT commissioner, which I have no trouble believing because if he opposed it it wouldn't have happened.

I think that a few examples still exist, but, if so, they won't be around for long.



It may have not been true in Georgia, but in some states what you'all called "redundant EXIT" was meant to be an indication that the posted Control Cities were not located near the exit.

lordsutch

Quote from: Tom958 on May 07, 2023, 12:40:39 PM
So, absurd as it may seem, if Georgia did this successfully in Rockdale, it's conceivable that they intended to do it between Griffin and Forest Park as well. If so, though, I suspect that the opening of the Atlanta International Raceway with its catastrophic effect on race-day traffic must've killed off whatever viability the concept may have still had. The 1964 Rand McNally showed I-75 as it actually ended up being built. As a final footnote, though, the closing Stockbridge-to-US 19-41 link of I-75 wasn't finished until 1970, but that US 41-GA 333 four-lane I mentioned was finished a couple of years sooner. I can't imagine an acceptable rationale for that.

I expect at the time an in-place upgrade or thereabouts would have been fairly viable. The terrain is also a bit more amenable to a new location freeway than the current I-75 corridor. It'd be nice to have closer access to Peachtree City and Fayetteville from I-75 too.

As far as the four-laning of 41 south of Griffin, along with the not-terribly-useful-these-days Griffin bypass, I expect it was political consolation prize for Barnesville not getting I-75. You can also sorta-kinda argue that 41 was carrying both the traffic for 41 and 341 north of Barnesville, and the old alignment is not very good.



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