Georgia

[roadman65]

Will Georgia ever connect their two segments of GA 177 in the Great Okefenokee Swamp?  If not why do they just reassign a new route number for one of the two pieces as I am sure there is some number not used yet?

[roadman65]

http://www.wgxa.tv/story/honoring-duane-allman-20140927#axzz3F6ZQLuXM
Guitar legend Duane Allman gets a street in Macon named after him over 40 years after his tragic death.

[kendancy66]

http://www.wgxa.tv/story/honoring-duane-allman-20140927#axzz3F6ZQLuXM
Guitar legend Duane Allman gets a street in Macon named after him over 40 years after his tragic death.

Thanks so much for posting this.  I have been a Duane Allman fan for over 40 years.  His premature death was very tragic.  He could have contributed so much more for music.  Most people don't realize that he created the start lead riff on the song "Layla"

[Gnutella]

I-95 is now an excellent drive in Georgia. Last time I drove on it, there were still segments that were four lanes, but now it's entirely six lanes, and I dealt with only two brief left-lane impediments between Savannah and Jacksonville. From what I remember, most of the highway (if not all) has the new style signs instead of the old condensed Georgia font.

I-75 is also becoming a better drive. The six-lane widening between Valdosta and Tifton is complete, and the only construction left south of Macon is reconstruction of an existing six-lane segment between Cordele and Unadilla. Now it's time for Georgia to give I-85 the same attention that I-75 and I-95 have been given.

[adventurernumber1]

I-95 is now an excellent drive in Georgia. Last time I drove on it, there were still segments that were four lanes, but now it's entirely six lanes, and I dealt with only two brief left-lane impediments between Savannah and Jacksonville. From what I remember, most of the highway (if not all) has the new style signs instead of the old condensed Georgia font.

I-75 is also becoming a better drive. The six-lane widening between Valdosta and Tifton is complete, and the only construction left south of Macon is reconstruction of an existing six-lane segment between Cordele and Unadilla. Now it's time for Georgia to give I-85 the same attention that I-75 and I-95 have been given.

Yeah, it would be cool if they'd widen I-85 to be continuously at least 3 lanes each way though state of GA. Then, with three interstates like that (I-75, I-95, I-85), Georgia would be very significant and known for having interstates at least 3 lanes each way through the state.

[Gnutella]

I-95 is now an excellent drive in Georgia. Last time I drove on it, there were still segments that were four lanes, but now it's entirely six lanes, and I dealt with only two brief left-lane impediments between Savannah and Jacksonville. From what I remember, most of the highway (if not all) has the new style signs instead of the old condensed Georgia font.

I-75 is also becoming a better drive. The six-lane widening between Valdosta and Tifton is complete, and the only construction left south of Macon is reconstruction of an existing six-lane segment between Cordele and Unadilla. Now it's time for Georgia to give I-85 the same attention that I-75 and I-95 have been given.

Yeah, it would be cool if they'd widen I-85 to be continuously at least 3 lanes each way though state of GA. Then, with three interstates like that (I-75, I-95, I-85), Georgia would be very significant and known for having interstates at least 3 lanes each way through the state.

I-85 desperately needs it. During normal traffic conditions, you end up with all the 18-wheelers, buses and vehicles with trailers spaced out in the right lane, and a long line of cars in the left lane going not much faster. And during holiday travel periods, traffic can come to a complete stop. I drove I-85 between Jefferson and Buford the weekend before Christmas last year, and just as my speed would get up to 50 MPH, I'd have to come to a stop again. This was out in the sticks too. Time to make it six lanes so even heavy holiday traffic can move, even if slower than normal.

[adventurernumber1]

Here's a visual update of the progress on the exit construction going on, on Exit 336 on I-75 in Dalton, GA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byu0tWk4vQ0

This project has been going on for exactly a year now, for it started last October.

[Tom958]

I-75 is also becoming a better drive. The six-lane widening between Valdosta and Tifton is complete...

That depends on how one defines "complete." It's been widened to six lanes (actually, in places, seven or eight all-new concrete lanes with the outer lanes being used as shoulders!) and most of the non-interchange bridges over I-75 (as well as the ones carrying I-75) have been replaced, but the legacy interchanges, including the bridges, are still intact. With the entire roadway envelope now paved with full-width left shoulders and a concrete median barrier, replacing the remaining bridges will be disruptive, as will matching the grades between the ramp terminals (the interchanges are tightly configured, as was common back then) and the as-yet-hypothetical new bridges, which likely will be several feet higher that the existing ones. I don't understand the thinking on this, especially since many such bridges of more recent construction have been replaced on I-85, I-20 and even I-16. If anyone can explain this to me, I'd be most grateful.

Here's a photo feature I did in 2008, while construction was in full swing. I haven't been down there since. While I'm in the neighborhood, here's another extending from Cordele to Forsyth via I-475. Imageshack dumped quite a few of the photos, but they're not completely useless. Yet.

Here's a current Streetview, too. See what I mean about the bridges?

Then there's this...

Now it's time for Georgia to give I-85 the same attention that I-75 and I-95 have been given.

Yeah, it would be cool if they'd widen I-85 to be continuously at least 3 lanes each way though state of GA. Then, with three interstates like that (I-75, I-95, I-85), Georgia would be very significant and known for having interstates at least 3 lanes each way through the state.

I-85 desperately needs it. During normal traffic conditions, you end up with all the 18-wheelers, buses and vehicles with trailers spaced out in the right lane, and a long line of cars in the left lane going not much faster. And during holiday travel periods, traffic can come to a complete stop. I drove I-85 between Jefferson and Buford the weekend before Christmas last year, and just as my speed would get up to 50 MPH, I'd have to come to a stop again. This was out in the sticks too. Time to make it six lanes so even heavy holiday traffic can move, even if slower than normal.

I can't disagree with that, but it'll be interesting to see how and when it happens. For one thing, cable median barriers have been installed recently (Georgia uses a design with a continuous concrete footing, which I haven't seen elsewhere), and, while they're not cripplingly expensive, they're also not something that would be installed with the intention of tearing them out very soon. OTOH, in stark contrast to that section of I-75 I was just talking about, virtually all of the interchange bridges over I-85 have already been replaced. But, judging from recent events here, I'd expect the existing concrete pavement to be removed and replaced as part of any widening. Doing this will be expensive-- hence the delay.

It used to be that widening a four lane freeway with a sixty foot median to six lanes followed a standard format: build a lane and a ten foot shoulder in the median, put a double-sided W beam guardrail adjacent to whichever shoulder is higher. More recently, though, a variety of schemes have been used, especially if the existing pavement is to be replaced. A final configuration that includes full-width left shoulders, a concrete barrier and no grass is increasingly popular, it seems. I would imagine that there's quite a bit of discussion within GDOT and FHWA about what to do with I-85 north of Atlanta and how to do it.

[Tom958]

Double post! 

Here's a visual update of the progress on the exit construction going on, on Exit 336 on I-75 in Dalton, GA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byu0tWk4vQ0

This project has been going on for exactly a year now, for it started last October.

Thanks for the video, but I can't tell what's going on other than the cranes suggesting work on the bridges. Roads can be really hard to photograph, let alone to video.

Got an airplane? 

Maybe a written description would be in order.

[adventurernumber1]

Double post! 

Here's a visual update of the progress on the exit construction going on, on Exit 336 on I-75 in Dalton, GA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byu0tWk4vQ0

This project has been going on for exactly a year now, for it started last October.

Thanks for the video, but I can't tell what's going on other than the cranes suggesting work on the bridges. Roads can be really hard to photograph, let alone to video.

Got an airplane? 

Maybe a written description would be in order.

I believe they're changing the current Partial Cloverleaf Interchange on Exit 336 to a Diamond Interchange due to accidents, and I also saw that they are putting up a sound barrier on the Southbound side, south of the exit, as you can see in the video. They may also get some resurfacing out of the project (heck, all of I-75 in north GA needs to be resurfaced, excluding the section in Calhoun that was resurfaced in recent years). That's pretty much what's going on, as far as I know.

[Alex]

I-95 is now an excellent drive in Georgia. Last time I drove on it, there were still segments that were four lanes, but now it's entirely six lanes, and I dealt with only two brief left-lane impediments between Savannah and Jacksonville. From what I remember, most of the highway (if not all) has the new style signs instead of the old condensed Georgia font.

Widening of Interstate 95 throughout Georgia was completed in December 2010. The only newer style guide signs are found at the 2012-opened Horsestamp Church Road interchange (Exit 22) and along northbound at GA 21 & 30 (Exit 109) where an auxiliary lane was added. I have the AARoads guides for I-95 updated as of winter of this year: https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0095ga

[lordsutch]

Underposted Interstates to see speed limit boosts: http://www.macon.com/2014/10/20/3374483/speed-limits-increasing-on-interstates.html

Hopefully some more of the more egregiously low-posted sections (the southern end of I-185, I-20 through Augusta) will be getting speed limit increases as well, along with the silly 2-mile 65 mph section of I-75 in Valdosta.

[Alex]

Underposted Interstates to see speed limit boosts: http://www.macon.com/2014/10/20/3374483/speed-limits-increasing-on-interstates.html

Hopefully some more of the more egregiously low-posted sections (the southern end of I-185, I-20 through Augusta) will be getting speed limit increases as well, along with the silly 2-mile 65 mph section of I-75 in Valdosta.

Interstate 95 through Chatham is mostly 65 MPH as well. It was set at 65 MPH along I-95 west of Brunswick too in January. Was that limit increased already, because I do not recall the reduction last Monday [or I was not paying enough attention]?

[Gnutella]

The Peter Street/Olympic Drive interchange on the Athens Perimeter is coming along. The "inner" overpass is complete but still carrying "outer" traffic, but the "outer" overpass is coming along, and they've begun laying concrete for the ramps too. I imagine that the interchange will be finished within six months, and the entire Perimeter will be a limited-access highway.

Next order of business should be reconfiguring the U.S. 29 NB and Old Hull Road interchanges so the Perimeter doesn't have to exit itself, and also reconfiguring the Oconee Street/Lexington Road interchange. Some of the acceleration and deceleration lanes on the northern Perimeter could stand to be lengthened as well. In fact, the North Avenue/Danielsville Road interchange is unnecessarily complicated and ought to be reconfigured too.

[afone]

GDOT Commissioner Keith Golden will have a meeting tomorrow in Augusta regarding widening the I-20 bridge over the Savannah River.
http://www.wjbf.com/story/26878552/changes-coming-to-the-i-20-savannah-river-bridge

[Gnutella]

That depends on how one defines "complete." It's been widened to six lanes (actually, in places, seven or eight all-new concrete lanes with the outer lanes being used as shoulders!) and most of the non-interchange bridges over I-75 (as well as the ones carrying I-75) have been replaced, but the legacy interchanges, including the bridges, are still intact. With the entire roadway envelope now paved with full-width left shoulders and a concrete median barrier, replacing the remaining bridges will be disruptive, as will matching the grades between the ramp terminals (the interchanges are tightly configured, as was common back then) and the as-yet-hypothetical new bridges, which likely will be several feet higher that the existing ones. I don't understand the thinking on this, especially since many such bridges of more recent construction have been replaced on I-85, I-20 and even I-16. If anyone can explain this to me, I'd be most grateful.

I guess I was speaking in terms of lane count since that was the main problem with the highway before I noticed that most overpasses south of Cordele have been replaced, but many of the interchange overpasses have not, and the interchanges themselves are still kind of tight. If I remember correctly, they said it had to do with saving money by leaving interchanges with low traffic counts intact. Eventually they'll need to replace them, though, because it does look goofy.

Another thing I'm happy to report that I forgot to mention before is that I-75 between Ashburn and Cordele no longer has uneven lanes. It's as if whichever contractor was in charge of widening that segment went cheap on the Superpave or something. Glad it's been rectified, though.

I can't disagree with that, but it'll be interesting to see how and when it happens. For one thing, cable median barriers have been installed recently (Georgia uses a design with a continuous concrete footing, which I haven't seen elsewhere), and, while they're not cripplingly expensive, they're also not something that would be installed with the intention of tearing them out very soon. OTOH, in stark contrast to that section of I-75 I was just talking about, virtually all of the interchange bridges over I-85 have already been replaced. But, judging from recent events here, I'd expect the existing concrete pavement to be removed and replaced as part of any widening. Doing this will be expensive-- hence the delay.

It used to be that widening a four lane freeway with a sixty foot median to six lanes followed a standard format: build a lane and a ten foot shoulder in the median, put a double-sided W beam guardrail adjacent to whichever shoulder is higher. More recently, though, a variety of schemes have been used, especially if the existing pavement is to be replaced. A final configuration that includes full-width left shoulders, a concrete barrier and no grass is increasingly popular, it seems. I would imagine that there's quite a bit of discussion within GDOT and FHWA about what to do with I-85 north of Atlanta and how to do it.

Regarding the cable barriers in the median, if GDOT has no problem replacing 10-year-old big green signs, then I doubt they'd have a problem uprooting the cable barriers within that period of time either. I imagine that they'll widen I-85 from Buford to Commerce first, and then do Commerce to the South Carolina state line afterward. Do you think it might be wise to widen to eight lanes up to, say, Hamilton Mill Road or Braselton? I figure six lanes north of Braselton is enough.

[Tom958]

I guess I was speaking in terms of lane count since that was the main problem with the highway before I noticed that most overpasses south of Cordele have been replaced, but many of the interchange overpasses have not, and the interchanges themselves are still kind of tight. If I remember correctly, they said it had to do with saving money by leaving interchanges with low traffic counts intact. Eventually they'll need to replace them, though, because it does look goofy.

After typing that, I realized that I was happy with the narrow-median widening north of Tifton, even though it's identical in cross section and inferior in that (IIRC) none of the bridges over I-75 were replaced:


That's just me, but south of Tifton they seemed intent on doing a complete reconstruction, and it was suprising and disappointing that they didn't follow completely through. In contrast, the project north of Tifton was cheaper and quicker to build since the pavement was overlaid rather than replaced. I'm also a big fan of full-width left shoulders, and I was glad to see them introduced there even at the cost of narrower shoulders under the bridges.

I suspect that these poured-in-place arches were easier to jack up that the precast beam bridges that were more prevalent south of Tifton:

Another thing I'm happy to report that I forgot to mention before is that I-75 between Ashburn and Cordele no longer has uneven lanes. It's as if whichever contractor was in charge of widening that segment went cheap on the Superpave or something. Glad it's been rectified, though.

Will they ever run out of things to do to I-75 in southern GA? It's occurred to me that it would be defensible to have work continue over many years to provide a steady stream of work for local contractors rather than doing the feast and famine thing of full reconstruction all at once. Between that and funding issues, maybe that's what they're trying to do.

Regarding the cable barriers in the median, if GDOT has no problem replacing 10-year-old big green signs, then I doubt they'd have a problem uprooting the cable barriers within that period of time either.

Or they could widen to the outside and leave the median as it is. 

I imagine that they'll widen I-85 from Buford to Commerce first, and then do Commerce to the South Carolina state line afterward. Do you think it might be wise to widen to eight lanes up to, say, Hamilton Mill Road or Braselton? I figure six lanes north of Braselton is enough.

Yes, I'd agree with that. Maybe south of Braselton, too, since the toll lanes could presumably be extended that far.

Once the sizable chunk from Buford to Commerce is done, they could nibble northward from there for years as funding materializes. I'd expect the bridge over Lake Hartwell to be an exception, though. It's older and narrower than the one afone mentioned carrying I-20 over the Savannah River.

[xcellntbuy]

In my recent move to middle Georgia, I have heard from my new colleagues that Interstate 75 is under perpetual reconstruction.  I have also heard and read here, that Interstate 85 is woefully neglected, but Interstate 20 is being repaved, supposedly again, on the eastern side of metro Atlanta.

My initial findings are that Interstate 20 is as smooth as silk when I have had taken my Corvette trips from Atlanta or Conyers east to Madison.  Interstate 285, the eastern section of the Atlanta Bypass from eastern Interstate 20 to Interstate 75 is getting rough, but trying to resurface the 8-lane highway is going to be quite a challenge for the State, given all that traffic.  In addition, the electronic speed limit signs on that same section of Interstate 285 are going haywire, with one side of the road setting the speed at 65 mph and the other side 55 mph going in the same direction.

[Tom958]

In my recent move to middle Georgia, I have heard from my new colleagues that Interstate 75 is under perpetual reconstruction.  I have also heard and read here, that Interstate 85 is woefully neglected, but Interstate 20 is being repaved, supposedly again, on the eastern side of metro Atlanta.

My initial findings are that Interstate 20 is as smooth as silk when I have had taken my Corvette trips from Atlanta or Conyers east to Madison.

That's a pretty fair assessment, though I hadn't heard about I-20 east of ATL. It runs perpendicular to my usual directions of travel, and my last photo recon mission went only from 285 to Panola Road.

The last time I was on 20 east of Madison a couple of years ago, some of the original concrete pavement was badly cracked, though the rideability hadn't suffered much as yet. Following recent patterns, I'd expect full removal and replacement-- that's even been done on a few sections of I-16, and not the oldest ones, either. W/E.

Interstate 285, the eastern section of the Atlanta Bypass from eastern Interstate 20 to Interstate 75 is getting rough, but trying to resurface the 8-lane highway is going to be quite a challenge for the State, given all that traffic.

Yes, but: Right before the Olympics, they managed to cheap-widen, repave, and even replace the bridge decks on the northern sector of 285 without disrupting traffic too horribly. For the more recent repaving between I-75 south and I-20 east, they closed down 285 on the weekends.

That's assuming an asphalt overlay. If they try to replace the original concrete, all bets are off. BTW, did you notice that the original concrete paving, c. 1960, is still in use on I-20 east inside 285?

In addition, the electronic speed limit signs on that same section of Interstate 285 are going haywire, with one side of the road setting the speed at 65 mph and the other side 55 mph going in the same direction.

Again, W/E.   

[adventurernumber1]

Yeah, some parts of I-16 have had the concrete replaced, and Idk how long it had been there, but on some of the old concrete, they did a restriping with the broken stripes dividing travel lanes having the black outlines, as of my trip to SC in June. I also saw them repaving some shoulders in places.

I went to Washington, GA a few years ago and I recall the pavement on I-20 in the eastern Atlanta Metro Area being pretty rough.

[xcellntbuy]

In addition to my previous observations, I took my first daytime, weekday ride into Atlanta on Tuesday and there are some really deep ruts in the right lanes and exit ramps off of Interstate 75 and 85, the Downtown Connector, from Interstate 20 north toward the Capitol and all the big buildings in downtown Atlanta.   The exits are an alphabet soup of 248A, B, C, D and 249A, B, C and D.

I also found a nice relaxing, unhurried, woodsy ride on GA 212 west and north from my new hometown of Milledgeville into DeKalb County on the east side of metro Atlanta.  The 31-mile section of GA 212 from Monticello southeast to Milledgeville cuts through a large section of the Oconee National Forest.  It cuts the 100-mile ride to Atlanta down to 87 miles and skips the vast majority of traffic.

[Eth]

In my recent move to middle Georgia, I have heard from my new colleagues that Interstate 75 is under perpetual reconstruction.  I have also heard and read here, that Interstate 85 is woefully neglected, but Interstate 20 is being repaved, supposedly again, on the eastern side of metro Atlanta.

My initial findings are that Interstate 20 is as smooth as silk when I have had taken my Corvette trips from Atlanta or Conyers east to Madison.

That's a pretty fair assessment, though I hadn't heard about I-20 east of ATL. It runs perpendicular to my usual directions of travel, and my last photo recon mission went only from 285 to Panola Road.

This must be somewhere east of Conyers. I haven't noticed anything west of exit 82 (SR 20/138) apart from VMSes warning of weekend construction somewhere further ahead.

[xcellntbuy]

Yes, it is east of Conyers.  The construction zone signage is for 13 miles.  The State has been working on the eastbound lanes of late, center lane and the right lane.

[Tom958]

I also found a nice relaxing, unhurried, woodsy ride on GA 212 west and north from my new hometown of Milledgeville into DeKalb County on the east side of metro Atlanta.  The 31-mile section of GA 212 from Monticello southeast to Milledgeville cuts through a large section of the Oconee National Forest.  It cuts the 100-mile ride to Atlanta down to 87 miles and skips the vast majority of traffic.

The final section of GA 212 wasn't opened until 1972 or so, IIRC. He's a section of the 1966 official state map that Eth posted where you can see the then-projected section:


When I was young, we'd drive from our home in Gresham Park, off I-20 southeast of Atlanta, to Waycross, using the same, rather odd route that my Dad had come up with. That route went out I-20 to Covington and then to Monticello and the last section of GA 212 would've shortened the route considerably, but by '72 we'd moved to southern Gwinnett and I'd talked him into using I-75, I-16 and US 23 to get us to Waycross.

I think I must've driven that stretch of GA 212 at some point, but I can't swear to it because it would've been out of my way.

[Tom958]

Double post! 

On October 23 I was in an accident at work that left me with a not-too-badly broken pelvis. I'm doing well and I'll be leaving the rehab hospital today, but it'll be weeks before I can walk, let alone drive or go back to work.

Why am I telling you this? Well, a while back, I emailed GDOT about this signage boogerup, and eventually they sent a form-letter email back. The last time I was over there, they hadn't corrected the problem, but they hadn't compounded the mistake by screwing up the remaining compressed font signs at the GA 141 northbound exit, either, so I'm still hopeful. If anybody's in the area, would you kindly have a look?