Georgia

[Tom958]

I must say, though, that neither 20 nor 85 needs to be widened across the entire state.

You're right. The first 19 miles of I-85 in Georgia don't need to be widened. The rest of it does, however, and thankfully they're making progress. North(east) of Atlanta, I-85 has been widened to six lanes all the way up to Braselton, and the segment from Braselton to Jefferson should be finished by the end of this year, after which widening will commence on the segment from Jefferson to Commerce.

Thanks! The 85 widening north of Atlanta is proceeding at what I'd call a glacial pace, and I don't think it was a great idea not to make any provision for widening north of Hamilton Mill, but traffic counts drop significantly after Jefferson and again after Commerce. Perhaps the leading edge of the work can stay ahead of the congestion.

[Tomahawkin]

@Tom, IMO I think the 85 widening was done to relieve congestion from the Snowbirds that are en route to Florida? If Im not mistaking, people will still take 85 as opposed to 95 to get to the western beaches of Florida. And the widening is necessary with all the truck traffic. There are a lot of warehouses being built on 85 that are 60 miles Northeast from Atlanta. The Atlanta-Greenville-Charlotte corridor will all be connected in 20 years, IMO

[architect77]

I must say, though, that neither 20 nor 85 needs to be widened across the entire state.

You're right. The first 19 miles of I-85 in Georgia don't need to be widened. The rest of it does, however, and thankfully they're making progress. North(east) of Atlanta, I-85 has been widened to six lanes all the way up to Braselton, and the segment from Braselton to Jefferson should be finished by the end of this year, after which widening will commence on the segment from Jefferson to Commerce.

Do you have any links to confirm that I-85 will be widened beyond the sections under construction now?

That would be very good to hear but I've never seen any mention of it in the Statewide Mobility Initiative.

I-85 is very heavily traveled from Atlanta through NC. It is one of the nation's most important industrial corridors, and once SC's 30 mile long widening to the NC line is complete, the Northeast Georgia to Anderson, SC section will be the only 4 lane section left except for a short 8 miles or so at the NC/SC border. If that bottlenecks, NC will probably widening it to 8 lanes to match the rest of I-85 through NC.

On Sunday evenings the traffic returning to the Atlanta metro is so heavy on I-85 that sometimes the backup of slow moving cars is 20-30 miles long. It's a good idea to widen I-85 to the SC line.

[Gnutella]

I must say, though, that neither 20 nor 85 needs to be widened across the entire state.

You're right. The first 19 miles of I-85 in Georgia don't need to be widened. The rest of it does, however, and thankfully they're making progress. North(east) of Atlanta, I-85 has been widened to six lanes all the way up to Braselton, and the segment from Braselton to Jefferson should be finished by the end of this year, after which widening will commence on the segment from Jefferson to Commerce.

Do you have any links to confirm that I-85 will be widened beyond the sections under construction now?

That would be very good to hear but I've never seen any mention of it in the Statewide Mobility Initiative.

I-85 is very heavily traveled from Atlanta through NC. It is one of the nation's most important industrial corridors, and once SC's 30 mile long widening to the NC line is complete, the Northeast Georgia to Anderson, SC section will be the only 4 lane section left except for a short 8 miles or so at the NC/SC border. If that bottlenecks, NC will probably widening it to 8 lanes to match the rest of I-85 through NC.

On Sunday evenings the traffic returning to the Atlanta metro is so heavy on I-85 that sometimes the backup of slow moving cars is 20-30 miles long. It's a good idea to widen I-85 to the SC line.

On I-85 northbound in Braselton, the sign when you enter the construction zone reads, "ROAD WORK NEXT 22 MILES." There's also this page on the GDOT website. Reconstruction and widening from Jefferson to Commerce begins next month. Reconstruction from Braselton to Jefferson should be finished by the end of this year.

[roadman65]

Where is Duane Allman Blvd. in Macon? Google maps show it's the intersection of College and Washington, but no street blades to confirm.


I know Berry Oakley Bridge on US 41 Business is signed over I-75 nearby, but not the legendary slide guitar player with an entire street named in honor of him.

[tsmatt13]

Where is Duane Allman Blvd. in Macon? Google maps show it's the intersection of College and Washington, but no street blades to confirm.

I know Berry Oakley Bridge on US 41 Business is signed over I-75 nearby, but not the legendary slide guitar player with an entire street named in honor of him.

https://www.macon.com/news/local/article30145248.html
According to this article, Vineville Ave. from Pio Nono Ave. to New Street will be designated Duane Allman Blvd. Strangely, I cannot find any street blades either, despite the article saying that "signs will designate it as a historic street."

[Gnutella]

GDOT is now preparing for the reconstruction and widening of I-85 from Jefferson to Commerce. They put out construction barrels along the entire segment last week, and last night there were southbound lane closures, though I'm not sure what for because I exited at U.S. 441. The good news about this segment is that there doesn't appear to be much preparatory work to do. There are only five overpasses (including interchanges), one underpass, one short pair of river bridges, and only one obvious culvert that I can see, so this project shouldn't take as long as the one from Braselton to Jefferson that's almost finished.

The segment from Braselton to GA 332 is substantially finished now, with some surfacing and striping being all that's left to do. However, the segment from GA 332 to the U.S. 129 interchange is still a few more months away. They've just now begun grading for the third lane in each direction, which I'm guessing will be the last thing they do since they need the river and railroad bridges just south(west) of the interchange to be completed first. It wouldn't surprise me if they open all six lanes to GA 332 within the next few weeks, and then the remainder to the U.S. 129 interchange by the end of the year.

[adventurernumber1]

This is exciting to see lots of progress on the widening of I-85 in Georgia. This is indeed badly needed, and hopefully progress will continue at a good pace (eventually reaching the South Carolina line at some point). The last time I was on I-85 in this part of the state (going up to Commerce) in early 2019 the widening had just been finished west of Braselton IIRC. It's nice to see the progress that has been made since then, and hopefully it won't be too long until I'm on that stretch of I-85 again. 

[Tom958]

To my disgust, GDOT is building a roundabout at the US 41-US 129- Pio Nono-Broadway intersection south of Macon. The problem with building a roundabout here is obvious: virtually no one will traverse the roundabout in the southbound US 41-Pio Nono to northbound Broadway direction; the few people who want go that way will bypass the roundabout via Guy Paine Road.  Therefore, there'll be nothing to moderate heavy traffic flows into the roundabout from the south. Consequently, southbound Broadway traffic will have little opportunity to enter the roundabout during rush hours and will back up nastily.

Also, a good proportion of the few people who attempt that southbound-to-northbound movement will likely be sideswiped by northbound drivers who are used to breezing through the yield sign without stopping. Or, more likely, they'll stop within the circle to wait for a break while resolving to take Guy Paine Road the next time.

The result will be something like this, but with no grade separation and traffic controlled by a single yield sign, something that no competent agency would ever propose for such a high-traffic location.

I predict that within not very long, the roundabout will be signalized and the southbound-to-northbound arc of the circle blocked off or removed.

[D-Dey65]

I'm kind of lazy to look it up on Historic Aerials right now, but was there ever a southbound rest area on I-475?

[Tom958]

I'm kind of lazy to look it up on Historic Aerials right now, but was there ever a southbound rest area on I-475?

I'm not gonna look it up, either, but common sense says no because of the Macon welcome center-rest area on southbound 75 right before 475.

[wriddle082]

I'm kind of lazy to look it up on Historic Aerials right now, but was there ever a southbound rest area on I-475?

I'm not gonna look it up, either, but common sense says no because of the Macon welcome center-rest area on southbound 75 right before 475.

Yes I have always considered the NB I-475 rest area to be paired up with the SB I-75 rest area.  Though they should probably have a NB I-75 rest area just south of the end of 475.  TN has a similar situation with rest areas around the I-40/I-81 interchange.

[D-Dey65]

I'm kind of lazy to look it up on Historic Aerials right now, but was there ever a southbound rest area on I-475?

I'm not gonna look it up, either, but common sense says no because of the Macon welcome center-rest area on southbound 75 right before 475.

Oh yes, I see that now.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9725924,-83.8279245,1876m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

[roadman65]

I'm kind of lazy to look it up on Historic Aerials right now, but was there ever a southbound rest area on I-475?

I'm not gonna look it up, either, but common sense says no because of the Macon welcome center-rest area on southbound 75 right before 475.

That don't mean a thing.  Look at I-24 in TN where on I-75 you have a rest area. Then head west on I-24 and get another after re-entering the state from where it dips down to Georgia for a couple miles.

[US 89]

I'm kind of lazy to look it up on Historic Aerials right now, but was there ever a southbound rest area on I-475?

I'm not gonna look it up, either, but common sense says no because of the Macon welcome center-rest area on southbound 75 right before 475.

That don’t mean a thing.  Look at I-24 in TN where on I-75 you have a rest area. Then head west on I-24 and get another after re-entering the state from where it dips down to Georgia for a couple miles.

Those are state welcome centers and not your average rest area. Eastern states like to put those along interstates as close to the state line as they can.

[wriddle082]

Have they finished up the rebuild of the 16/75 interchange in Downtown Macon?  I haven't been in that area in a few years, nor have I heard much about this project.

[Alex]

Have they finished up the rebuild of the 16/75 interchange in Downtown Macon?  I haven't been in that area in a few years, nor have I heard much about this project.

Phase 6 or the project is scheduled to go to bid next year. Overall work is scheduled to run until 2030.

As of July they had I-75 southbound using the future c/d roadway for the US 41BU exit:



Same with part of I-75 northbound when we rode through there in May:



A lot of work to still be done on I-16. Shot this on July 25:

[Tom958]

Whoa, GA 540 cosigned with i-75? Will wonders never cease?  I guess they didn't bother northbound.

[amroad17]

Whoa, GA 540 cosigned with i-75? Will wonders never cease?  I guess they didn't bother northbound.

The photo is on I-16 WB and GA 540 WB correct?  Doesn't GA 540 have a concurrency with I-16 from the I-75 interchange to Exit 2 there in Macon?  That is probably why GA 540 is not posted with I-75 NB.

This reminds me of the new BGS's erected in Binghamton, NY along I-81 for the north split with I-86 in that I-86 is posted but not officially routed on that stretch of highway.  In this case, GA 540 is officially routed along I-75 from Macon to Exit 149 in Byron.  Georgia DOT are erecting new, updated signs that reflect that GA 540 is routed along I-75 now--just like NYSDOT is anticipating I-86 routed with NY 17.  Hopefully, Georgia DOT will post updated signage reflecting GA 540's routing along I-75 soon.

Also, the BGS should have a WEST to the right of GA 540.

[Tom958]

The photo is on I-16 WB and GA 540 WB correct?  Doesn't GA 540 have a concurrency with I-16 from the I-75 interchange to Exit 2 there in Macon?  That is probably why GA 540 is not posted with I-75 NB.

Give me a little bit of credit. I didn't mean on this particular overhead. I meant at any appropriate location along northbound 75, especially where GA 540 exits from 75. FWIW, I also think it should be signed at the 75-475 split even though 540 doesn't exit there, just because meaningful concurrencies should be signed on pullthroughs.

[amroad17]

The photo is on I-16 WB and GA 540 WB correct?  Doesn't GA 540 have a concurrency with I-16 from the I-75 interchange to Exit 2 there in Macon?  That is probably why GA 540 is not posted with I-75 NB.

Give me a little bit of credit. I didn't mean on this particular overhead. I meant at any appropriate location along northbound 75, especially where GA 540 exits from 75. FWIW, I also think it should be signed at the 75-475 split even though 540 doesn't exit there, just because meaningful concurrencies should be signed on pullthroughs.

While I was typing my response last evening, the thought did pass through my mind that you may have been talking about adding GA 540 signs to I-75 NB from Bryan up to Macon--which is what you meant.  My apologies for not giving you enough credit. 

I agree with your assessment of having GA 540 signed along I-75--especially at the Byron interchange and at the I-475/I-75 interchange southwest of Macon.  The BGS overhead on I-16 discussed above looks like it was recently put up and could be the first of many signs displaying GA 540 along I-75.

[US 89]

I mean, 540 is the Fall Line "Freeway", you think they'd sign it along interstates 

[ran4sh]

Also, the BGS should have a WEST to the right of GA 540.

Georgia doesn't have a sign height restriction, usually when 2 route markers both have directional banners they are placed above the marker instead of to the right.

[hotdogPi]

Also, the BGS should have a WEST to the right of GA 540.

Georgia doesn't have a sign height restriction, usually when 2 route markers both have directional banners they are placed above the marker instead of to the right.

The comment was that WEST is required because GA 540 doesn't go south from here as the sign implies. The placement doesn't matter that much.

[amroad17]

Also, the BGS should have a WEST to the right of GA 540.

Georgia doesn't have a sign height restriction, usually when 2 route markers both have directional banners they are placed above the marker instead of to the right.

Either way, there should be a WEST with the GA 540 shield on this BGS.