Georgia

[sprjus4]

As for NC, they have a lot of maintenance needs across the state with many damaged signs etc. There are few sections of I-85 that remain 4 lanes, about 40 miles between Durham and the VA State line, about !5 at the SC State line, and only an 8 mile stretch between Durham and the merging of I-40/ I-85 duplex.

That segment of I-85 north of Durham doesn't really need widening, IMO... low traffic volumes overall (under 30,000 IIRC) and not any heavy truck percentages. It seems adequate with 4 lanes, even during peak travel periods. I-95 is a much more pressing issue, with 40,000-60,000 AADT and significantly higher on peak weekends and travel periods. The entire segment between the South Carolina / Georgia state line and VA I-295 needs a minimum of 3 lanes in each direction.

[architect77]

But the biggest point I want to make is the thousands and thousands of miles of 4-lane, divided highways in NC (its default ideal road design) that are NEAR INTERSTATE QUALITY.

Indeed, but the highway system in and around Atlanta is significantly more complex than Charlotte and Raleigh (combined), and GDOT has made a lot of highway improvements in the Atlanta Metro over the same timeframe.  My argument against comparing Georgia to North Carolina is that one is Atlanta-centric and the other is fairly balanced Rural/Urban...  ...in pretty much every area of life.  My aunt lived in Stone Mountain on two occasions, and I have worked in Atlanta a fair amount.   Quite frankly, I love Atlanta but I wouldn't want to live there.

If there ever were two states difficult to compare it is NC and Georgia. They dovetail one another in countless ways. NC has robust systems to keep small towns moving forward, and it is a powerful state from hundreds of small towns collectively.

Georgia has very rural expanses populated by citizens that don't want any of the stuff Rural NC begs for. It does "big city"   dry well, and the infrastructure it does build is meant to be big and unmistakably like a big, world city.

And while NC tried to keep up with the Northeastern states by being known as
Having the best and most miles of paved roads early on, Georgia didn't establish that same precedent and was more of a capital of the Deep South. Just look at the county's city halls and courthouses which are beautiful and ornate symbols of Southern culture.

But back to highways, don't think that all of the metro's roads are similar and resemble North Fulton or Gwinnett. Last week I was driving in Conyers at night and it was downright barbaric. GA20, which follows a path that would be spot on for and outer perimeter, was dark and dangerous with insufficient shoulders, abrupt inclines and declines, and even the overpasses over I-20 are the bare minimum 60s designs and are not suitable for a 7 million population region.

GDOT ignores 60% of the metro because it is minority populated. And I hate that no one in those communities demand for better conditions.

Like I say Georgia builds very different-looking infrastructure usually going for one big bold stroke and that's it. That big city aesthetic likely wouldn't fly in NC where the local community small scale infrastructure rules, much like Florida save for South Florida.

I heard Peachtree St is getting a makeover, going to check that out.

[architect77]

But the biggest point I want to make is the thousands and thousands of miles of 4-lane, divided highways in NC (its default ideal road design) that are NEAR INTERSTATE QUALITY.

Indeed, but the highway system in and around Atlanta is significantly more complex than Charlotte and Raleigh (combined), and GDOT has made a lot of highway improvements in the Atlanta Metro over the same timeframe.  My argument against comparing Georgia to North Carolina is that one is Atlanta-centric and the other is fairly balanced Rural/Urban...  ...in pretty much every area of life.  My aunt lived in Stone Mountain on two occasions, and I have worked in Atlanta a fair amount.   Quite frankly, I love Atlanta but I wouldn't want to live there.

I'm going to let these images from TMobile do the talking.  Metro Atlanta maybe more complex, but how much of it was thought out and studied and how much was just sprawl guided by development wothout anyone looking at the big picture.

If you want connectivity which offers multiple alternates to get anywhere, then Raleigh, though small, seems to stand out.

These are all at the same scale:

atl by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[Tom958]

I noticed yesterday that this is gone now. I hope it made its way into someone's collection. https://goo.gl/maps/jqgkeb1DpRb6mx3H9

[bdmoss88]

This will be really interesting to see, I've never heard of a travel stop with a scale quite like this before (in terms of the size of the property, and with so many fuel pumps), this is massive. I also like hearing about the good quality of the facilities, and the offering of good foods, so this sounds pretty cool.

There's also gonna be a Buc-ee's in Calhoun.

Interesting to hear one of these will be opening up in my neck of the woods (as I live in nearby Dalton), I'll have to check it out once it's opened.

Also on I-75's Exit 310 in Calhoun GA (Union Grove Rd.), (which sounds like will hold the Calhoun location of Buc-ee's), I saw that it appeared a new Love's Truck Stop was under construction there (on the northeast side of the exit) the last time I passed through. That is a new interchange anyway (up until a few years ago, it was just a overpass over the interstate with no exit), and there's a whole lot of industrial activity nearby, so that is the happening place for new development. It's very interesting to see all of this pop up.

We passed through this area this weekend and saw that exit 310 is now where the new routing of GA53 crosses I75 instead of exit 312. It had been several years since we had been through here so I was not aware of the change and missed the turn the first time through. This is part of our Atlanta bypass(US27 from LaGrange to Rome, then GA53 to Calhoun) when we head to eastern TN or points north. It looks like the few minutes gained from the new GA53 routing will then be negated by the inevitable visits to Buc-ee's on future trips.    The Buc-ee's looks like it will be opening very soon.

[Georgia]

This overpass is going to be closed a while.  What looked to be a raised dump truck smoked the SR 86 bridge over I-16 and displaced it 6 feet!  How fast was that truck going!!

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/georgia-interstate-bridge-shifts-6-feet-after-truck-crash-road-closed-indefinitely/5BRWDRQPWZC3HJIMZYQZSWWY54/

[Tomahawkin]

Thank Gawd that didn't Happen on IH 20 or IH 75 or IH 85. Especially any of the other main routes to Florida...Those detours can add an additional 1-3 hours...

[Georgia]

I-16 is going to be closed until Sunday between MP 71 and 78.  GDOT is planning to get one lane open up each way by then with I-16 not being fully reopen until the end of next week.   God I hope no one here is going to Savannah/Tybee/etc.

[Tomahawkin]

I'm going to Jacksonville in 2 weeks but I'm taking 75 to 10....

[kevinb1994]

I'm going to Jacksonville in 2 weeks but I'm taking 75 to 10....

I'll be out of town shortly after. Have a family event to be at next month.

[Georgia]

Both westbound lanes are open and GDOT is hoping to have eastbound open by Sunday

Edit: all lanes have re-opened now

[Tom958]

Days later: I first heard about the recent I-16 incident from Facebook, from the various GDOT pages I follow, then from FreewayJim and other groups. GDOT was using screenshots from Google Maps to illustrate the closure, and it became obvious that Google was unaware of the closure. I asked (knowing the answer was NO) whether GDOT had any system in place for notifying the various navigation systems of major closures and detours. Of course, they wouldn't say yes or no, but they stated that the most up-to-date information was at their 511 information line or at 511ga.org. I didn't bother to ask how often drivers were expected to call 511 or check 511ga.org while driving, or explain to them that various services would notify drivers of the problem and direct them around it- -  as long as they know there's a problem. Apparently, no one on GDOT's social media team is familiar with real-time navigation apps. WTF?

Later on, as if to belabor the point, GDOT posted a screenshot of Google Maps again and offered this:

Helpful Tip:  Set your GPS device to "˜avoid interstates' for alternate routes around the I-16 closure in Treutlen County.  Visit 511 Georgia for the latest travel info.  www.511ga.org

What is wrong with these f**king people?

Of course, I posted a Waze screenshot showing a minimal detour through Soperton, and my own advice: "Or people could use Waze instead of Google Maps. Waze has user input, so major incidents get reported by the public even if GDOT, the State Patrol, and the various police forces in the area are uninterested in reporting it themselves."

Of course, I posted a Waze screenshot of the area.

[Rothman]

Google owns Waze.  They are essentially one in the same now.

[Georgia]

Google typically wont send drivers down closed roads, so the route google showed would have been the fastest at the time.  Google Maps would have shown your time and distance and then said this route avoids road closure on Interstate 16 and Georgia 406 or whatever the # is. 

You want GDOT to do this?  Seems like a waste of funds and you already complain about what they do with their current funding levels. 

[adventurernumber1]

This past weekend I got some pictures of all the activity on GA 316, which is looking good.

Taken of the Harbins Rd. exit under construction:





Taken of the newly completed interchange with GA 81:







Taken of the GA 11 interchange currently under construction:





Taken of the GA 53 interchange currently under construction:







I'll also be interested to see how the new Winder bypass ties in with everything, so there's a lot to look forward to. I'm glad to see these projects unfolding at a much more rapid pace, GA 316 needs it that's for sure. 

iPhone

[Tomahawkin]

Great Pics.. I have said it for 10 years, 316 should be 8 lanes total all the way to Athens, Winder, Auburn, Commerce, are all suburbs of Atlanta now, and the 2 lane roads at intersections don't cut it. 316 being 8 lanes total to Athens also helps with UGA traffic. Taking US 78 to Athens, Sucks...

[rickmastfan67]

This past weekend I got some pictures of all the activity on GA 316, which is looking good.

Taken of the newly completed interchange with GA 81:

Exit 5???

Are they basing mileage on the distance in the counties instead of the entire route?  If so, that so stupid.

[adventurernumber1]

This past weekend I got some pictures of all the activity on GA 316, which is looking good.

Taken of the newly completed interchange with GA 81:

Exit 5???

Are they basing mileage on the distance in the counties instead of the entire route?  If so, that so stupid.

I think so, as I remember the mile markers resetting once entering Barrow County, after rising to at least 14 in Gwinnett County. The mile markers were styled like this:



So that is indeed strange that they reset instead of being continuous, and it threw me off as well when I noticed they had reset.

iPhone

[milbfan]

Same way in Kentucky and Tennessee on any routes (aside from Interstates).

[Gnutella]

This past weekend I got some pictures of all the activity on GA 316, which is looking good.

Taken of the newly completed interchange with GA 81:

Exit 5???

Are they basing mileage on the distance in the counties instead of the entire route?  If so, that so stupid.

That baffles me too, as does the lack of exit arrows on the signs in both directions.

[tolbs17]

This past weekend I got some pictures of all the activity on GA 316, which is looking good.

Taken of the newly completed interchange with GA 81:

Exit 5???

Are they basing mileage on the distance in the counties instead of the entire route?  If so, that so stupid.

I wonder why there is no arrow on the sign!

[ran4sh]

This past weekend I got some pictures of all the activity on GA 316, which is looking good.

Taken of the newly completed interchange with GA 81:

Exit 5???

Are they basing mileage on the distance in the counties instead of the entire route?  If so, that so stupid.

Mile markers in GA are done that way all over the state - they reset at county lines.

The exit numbering, if kept as is, would be a first for GA. Normally non-interstate freeways simply use sequential numbering (e.g. SR 400, US 78 in Atlanta, US 80 in Columbus).

[Tom958]

The exit numbering, if kept as is, would be a first for GA. Normally non-interstate freeways simply use sequential numbering (e.g. SR 400, US 78 in Atlanta, US 80 in Columbus).

I should contact my legislators about introducing a bill to renumber the exits on 316 and 400 based on mileage from their western and southern termini. Redo the mileposts accordingly, too, I guess.

[Tom958]

Dropping this last thing on Friday afternoon.   

Carmaggedon, the closure of all but three lanes of I-285 in each direction through the GA 400 interchange, formerly scheduled for any day now, has been postponed until June! I'm guessing that the delay will allow the east-west collector-distributor roads to open before the big closure, providing a bit more capacity.

The closure is to allow the demolition and replacement of the bridges carrying 285 over Glenridge Drive, GA 400, and Peachtree Dunwoody Road. I've heard 200 days for that, but don't hold me to it.

Project newsletter

GDOT Facebook post

[Tomahawkin]

CheeseWhiz! This project will not be done til 2023, by then the work of Adding elevated toll bridges from 285 to 400 North will begin. This project is already going on 5 years. They should have did what Dallas did with IH 630