Georgia

[Tom958]

Fun fact: the freeway conversion of GA 141 was done as a demonstration project, whatever that means, and two other corridors were considered: Memorial Drive and... Tara Boulevard. I thought at the time that Tara Boulevard would've been the best choice because there was enough right-of-way to make it feasible while still making it something of a challenge.

[Rothman]

Fun fact: the freeway conversion of GA 141 was done as a demonstration project, whatever that means, and two other corridors were considered: Memorial Drive and... Tara Boulevard. I thought at the time that Tara Boulevard would've been the best choice because there was enough right-of-way to make it feasible while still making it something of a challenge.

Federal demonstration projects were essentially just earmarked projects.

[hurricanehink]

I drove alone US 78 in northeastern Georgia from Washington to I-20, and they are making good progress expanding it to two lanes each way. Not the best pics, but you can see the new bridges. They had a 3 mile section of new roadway, where they had cut down large swaths of trees.

[Buck87]

http://www.newtoncitizen.com/news/local/gdot-to-hold-open-house-oct-for-proposed-i-/article_7b8d3822-24a4-543f-9d11-f09d4ef250ea.html

GDOT looking at the possibility of either a DDI or SPUI at exit 82 on I-20 in Conyers (at GA 138 & GA 20.) According to this article they had an open house for it back on October 11.

My sister lives less than a half mile from that interchange and has to deal with it everyday, and from what little experience I've had with it I've seen it's a pain in the ass, so I hope to see them go ahead with either option.

I used to live in Conyers and can confirm, it's a complete nightmare, particularly in conjunction with the nearby signal at Dogwood Dr. There's plenty of through traffic on GA 20/138 (particularly people south of I-20 accessing the WalMart shopping center), so I'd probably go with a SPUI as the better solution here.

The plans for both the SPUI and DDI options call for a roundabout at Dogwood and the Walmart/Home Depot access road that will have it's own separate ramp onto I-20 West. So any traffic from the shopping centers/Dogwood Dr that wants to head west on I-20 can do so without ever messing with 138.

Here are the plans...

SPUI: https://por.dot.ga.gov/projectInfo/731048-/PDF/DisplaySPUI.pdf

DDI: https://por.dot.ga.gov/projectInfo/731048-/PDF/DisplayDDI.pdf

[afguy]

The I-16/I-75 Interchange project will begin in the Spring.
http://www.macon.com/news/local/article130639749.html

[Tom958]

Some photos of the I-75 reversible express lanes south of Atlanta, taken last Sunday afternoon. I took a great many more photos, but I'm too lazy to put them all on imgur. They're in a private Facebook group if you're interested.

Southbound on the general lanes since the reversible roadway is running northbound at 2pm. Hmm. Here we're passing under I-675 southbound with the ramp to 675 northbound beyond.



Southbound entrance to the reversible roadway, with the lanes carefully delineated with distinctive striping. No rat racing here.



Express lanes entrance, duh. Note the down arrow on the gore sign, like we're in France.



The reversible roadway is adjacent to the southbound legacy roadway everywhere except here, at the bifurcation near Hudson Bridge-Eagles Landing. All of the signs for this exit southbound have a white line between the green and the yellow of the exit only tab. Weird. They were added as part of a project to add the two-dropped-lanes offramp you see here. Must be some horrendous afternoon backups here.



A bit further along, just past Hudson Bridge-Eagles Landing. The median looks a bit ratty, and there's o landscaping as yet.



On the way to the Locust Grove exit to turn around and take the reversible roadway back north, we spotted this stash of signs and decided to investigate. They're at a GDOT maintenance facility, next door to which is a privately owned sign fabricator. Forest Park is about twenty miles from here, but King George Boulevard is near Savannah.



Heading back north. My companion is from Florida and is more used to toll-related VMS's that I am, but neither of us recall seeing a fraction displayed on a VMS.



Or an arrow, either.



This is the wye at the end of the reversible roadway. Merging would never occur here-- unless they ran 75 contraflow northbound for the mother of all hurricanes.



I found the yellow paint markings a bit disconcerting, though they're unambiguously correct.



The first segment of the reversible roadway, to a point well north of the GA 20-81 interchange, is only one lane. WTF?

[Tom958]

The reversible roadway widens to two lanes just south of the access points to and from the 75 mainline north of GA20-81.



The access points. I'm a bit surprised that they weren't staggered somewhat to cut down on the required width.



Direct access point to Jonesboro Road, in addition to the full interchange for general traffic. Note the traffic light-- I guess it's there to fake people into taking that turn slowly enough. I wonder how long it'll be before somebody jumpramps that sucker.



Ramp terminal for the Jonesboro Road access point.



Wooded bifurcation approaching Hudson Bridge-Eagles Landing. According to the project concept report, provision was made to allow for construction of a second express roadway at some future date. However, while the new roadway is adjacent to the southbound roadway everywhere else, it's on the northbound side here to protect the water quality of the stream that flows through that median. Wow. 

[Tomahawkin]

Thanks for the pics. I wish they would have redone the 75/S.R. 138 interchange. That area is a bottleneck because it reduces to 3 lanes in each direction. Not to mention its a left handed merge from the toll lanes to 75 north. People have a third of a mile to merge. That will cause accidents, bank on it...

[Tom958]

The entrance from 75 southbound, where we were at the beginning of this series of photos. I haven't figured out the sekrit code that governs how they did those paint markings.






We're taking the 675 leg, though I'm curious as to how the merge with 75 will work. It would've been a huge detour to check out both, and probably 675 was more interesting.



Again, that yellow gore. No merge sign this time, though.






45 mph? Gee, I dunno.



About to enter 675 from the left. We're going uphill, and the taper is very short. Could be hairy with rush hour traffic.

[Tomahawkin]

Those left handed merges are going to be dangerous. Thanks for the pics. I was in that area last Sunday. I wish they had done a complete overhaul 15 years ago instead of blatant neglect for the south side commuters. Many of them have to commute to Areas north of the perimeter. MARTA rail should have been made adjacent to the interstate, but conservative voters opposed it and still oppose it to this day. Oy

[Tom958]

Those left handed merges are going to be dangerous. Thanks for the pics. I was in that area last Sunday. I wish they had done a complete overhaul 15 years ago instead of blatant neglect for the south side commuters. Many of them have to commute to Areas north of the perimeter. MARTA rail should have been made adjacent to the interstate, but conservative voters opposed it and still oppose it to this day. Oy

I'd think that the northbound merge makes use of the fourth lane on 75 that's added just south of the bridge over 138, thereby giving the two express lanes one empty lane to dump into at the cost of doing away with the added lane for the northbound onramp from 138. But I don't know that, and I don't plan to investigate it anytime soon.

[lordsutch]

I'd think that the northbound merge makes use of the fourth lane on 75 that's added just south of the bridge over 138, thereby giving the two express lanes one empty lane to dump into at the cost of doing away with the added lane for the northbound onramp from 138. But I don't know that, and I don't plan to investigate it anytime soon.

It does. I wish they'd also have extended the fourth southbound lane from 138 to the express lanes, but I guess they figured it would create weaving problems where non-toll traffic would obstruct access to the express lanes.

[lordsutch]

Gray Bypass intersection at US 129 north sees its third fatality in a week. GDOT seems to have really messed up here, and I'm not sure retrofitting signals, which I'm sure is the plan, will help much - they really need to consider cutting off crossing traffic or a superstreet layout.

[Tom958]

Gray Bypass intersection at US 129 north sees its third fatality in a week. GDOT seems to have really messed up here, and I'm not sure retrofitting signals, which I'm sure is the plan, will help much - they really need to consider cutting off crossing traffic or a superstreet layout.

Wow. What a disaster!

I think maybe some rumble strips would be in order. That said, with twenty twenty hindsight, they could've built only one roadway of the bypass initially and festooned it with four way stops.

Has it been mentioned here before? The Gray Bypass is unnumbered.

[Henry]

Now we just need to figure out a way to build the HOT lanes through Atlanta; it certainly has the room, but I doubt it would improve the overall traffic flow by much. However, it would make a very nice start, to say the least.

[Tomahawkin]

Maybe from 75 north at the 17th street bridge NW to the Cobb cloverleaf could they build elevated toll lanes. I don't think toll lanes can be built on the connector. Is not feasible, IMO

[Georgia]

yea, 75N from the Brookwood split could have the ROW , but there is no room on the connector itself for the additional lanes.  if there were, GDOT would have wedged them in by now.

[Tomahawkin]

I think both sections of IH 20 OTP will be next to get elevated toll lanes. Both sides of IH 20 should have been widened 25 years ago. How that its only 3 lanes in each direction is beyond me...

[lordsutch]

There is a study on adding capacity to the 75/85 connector. My guess is GDOT will have to do something like the managed lanes on I-635 in Dallas, dug underneath the existing lanes. There's definitely the through traffic to justify an express 2x2 configuration from north to south, maybe with access to I-20 and one downtown exit each direction only.

[afguy]

Here are some sign diagrams I found for the I-16/I-75 Interchange modernization project in Macon. These signs will be placed on I-75 south of I-16.
Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Screenshot 2017-02-15 07.04.54 by brandon walker, on Flickr

Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Interstate 16/Interstate 75 Interchange Project by brandon walker, on Flickr

Screenshot 2017-02-15 07.02.00 by brandon walker, on Flickr

[Eth]

Here are some sign diagrams I found for the I-16/I-75 Interchange modernization project in Macon. These signs will be placed on I-75 south of I-16.

Somewhat interesting that some of the supplemental signs (2nd image) are still being set in Series D. Not dead yet, apparently!

[Tom958]

I'm wondering about the one with the NEXT RIGHT legend and an exit only tab with no arrows.

[Georgia]

I think both sections of IH 20 OTP will be next to get elevated toll lanes. Both sides of IH 20 should have been widened 25 years ago. How that its only 3 lanes in each direction is beyond me...

yea, 20 would work, especially from a ROW perspective as you get closer to 285 on each side.

[Buck87]

I'm not really one that knows much about sign fonts, so I have the following question...

What is it with lower case i's not being dotted on Georgia's big green signs? That's something I've noticed on my last several trips down here...and makes me want to joke that they should bring in the Ohio State marching band to do the job of dotting the i's...

[lordsutch]

I'm not really one that knows much about sign fonts, so I have the following question...

What is it with lower case i's not being dotted on Georgia's big green signs? That's something I've noticed on my last several trips down here...and makes me want to joke that they should bring in the Ohio State marching band to do the job of dotting the i's...

Back in the day, before lowercase letters for FHWA Series A-D were added to the MUTCD, Georgia designed (or paid someone to design) its own custom lowercase characters for Series D; they also modified a few of the uppercase letters as well; notably the curve on uppercase "D" is more squared off than in real Series D, I guess to make it more distinct from "O". Part of this design was omitting the dots from the lowercase "i" and "j" characters, presumably because GDOT/the designer believed that at night the dot would blend into the stem due to reflective halation. At some point towards the end though they did add the dots back, before abandoning its use on most freeway guide signs in favor of FHWA a few years ago.

I think in-house some of the sign shops still haven't switched over from "Georgia D" but these days anything that goes to contract will use FHWA Series, usually Series E(M) on freeway BGSes although some supplemental signs are mixed-case Series D. I think the last GDOT freeway contract that used any form of series D for most guide signs was the most recent Truman Pkwy extension in Savannah, and even that was a bit of an outlier (they probably dusted off old plan sheets from the 1990s).