Georgia

[Gnutella]

IMO, The bridge overpasses and improvements at intersections are 25 years overdue! i have been a broken record on saying this! The Riverside PKWY overpass needs to be redone and 316 should be 8-10 lanes all the way to Athens. I have seen the sprawl in Winder as well as in Barrow county as a whole. If a Amazon Warehouse center comes out there??? That means more traffic. I wish Gwinnett would use some their TSPLOST Funding to address issues on 316 as well as US 78

There's no need for Gwinnett County to spend money on GA 316 at this point. GDOT designated GA 316 as a freight corridor in 2016, which is why there's been so much more construction along it in the last five years. In addition, GDOT is getting federal assistance with the (re)design of everything from the GA 20/GA 124 interchange to the new Harbins Road interchange. As for the number of lanes, it needs eight from I-85 east to Lawrenceville Highway (old U.S. 29), but it's fine with six the rest of the way into Athens. Even football game-day traffic won't be overwhelming as long as there are no traffic signals creating bottlenecks. That's part of why I'm so adamant about an overpass being built for Carl-Bethlehem Road, because doing that would create a signal-free highway from Kilcrease Road to Statham, once the West Winder Bypass is completed.

Speaking of bottlenecks, GDOT will soon need to focus on the eastern end of GA 316, specifically the intersections with the Athens Perimeter and Oconee Connector. Traffic from the "inner" (clockwise) Perimeter to GA 316 westbound needs a flyover ramp, because traffic sometimes backs up onto the Perimeter during afternoon rush hour, and the 90-degree left turn onto the highway going uphill is awkward too. The ramp from GA 316 eastbound to the "outer" (counterclockwise) Perimeter could use a second lane as well, because it handles a lot of traffic from sunrise until late in the evening. Likewise, the Oconee Connector intersection is a bottleneck for both roads from sunrise until late in the evening.

[Finrod]

I think the reason Georgia has been putting off I-20 is that they've been working on I-85, which was pretty bad itself.  They have I-75 as six+ lanes through the state, now they're trying to get I-85 to the same place.  After I-85 gets finished I would guess I-20 would be next.

[Georgia]

I think the reason Georgia has been putting off I-20 is that they've been working on I-85, which was pretty bad itself.  They have I-75 as six+ lanes through the state, now they're trying to get I-85 to the same place.  After I-85 gets finished I would guess I-20 would be next.

I am pretty sure this is it also, i would guess the SW part of 85 widening is going to be done in 3-4 sections as time and money permit.

[Gnutella]

I think the reason Georgia has been putting off I-20 is that they've been working on I-85, which was pretty bad itself.  They have I-75 as six+ lanes through the state, now they're trying to get I-85 to the same place.  After I-85 gets finished I would guess I-20 would be next.

That makes sense. I-85 north of Buford has more traffic than I-20 east of Covington anyway. I am surprised that GDOT is keeping four lanes on I-20 west of Villa Rica, though, because ALDOT has widened most of I-20 between Birmingham and the Georgia state line.

[US 89]

For a state that builds almost no new roads, you'd think that the 1960's-built original interstates would be kept in stellar condition. Afterall, what else does the DOT have to do everyday for the past 60 years? Adding a lane here and there in metro Atlanta hardly is an excuse.

I don't know, maybe upgrading a bunch of rural highways to pretty good quality 4 lane expressways?

[Georgia]

I think the reason Georgia has been putting off I-20 is that they've been working on I-85, which was pretty bad itself.  They have I-75 as six+ lanes through the state, now they're trying to get I-85 to the same place.  After I-85 gets finished I would guess I-20 would be next.

That makes sense. I-85 north of Buford has more traffic than I-20 east of Covington anyway. I am surprised that GDOT is keeping four lanes on I-20 west of Villa Rica, though, because ALDOT has widened most of I-20 between Birmingham and the Georgia state line.

Yea, i suspect that last 24 miles of I-20 in west GA will be the last 2 sections of 20 to be widened.

[Georgia]

For a state that builds almost no new roads, you'd think that the 1960's-built original interstates would be kept in stellar condition. Afterall, what else does the DOT have to do everyday for the past 60 years? Adding a lane here and there in metro Atlanta hardly is an excuse.

I don't know, maybe upgrading a bunch of rural highways to pretty good quality 4 lane expressways?

That and GDOT was obligated(at least 15 years ago) to spend equally among Districts so it cant just spend all of its money in Atlanta. 

[architect77]

Who said that Georgia was limited to improving one highway at a time?

The gas prices are now the same i thorughout NC, SC (they must have really bumped up their tax), and GA.

North Carolina takes $5 billion a year and manages to maintain 80,000 miles  of roads with $2 billion of that, and then allocates $3 billion every year to new construction projects and improvements.

Shown in blue are the current new construction projects underway in NC. The Raleigh area is rebuilding the final 1960s section of its I-440 Beltline, I-40 is getting 2 additional lanes in each direction South of Raleigh, the next section of its tolled 540 outerloop in under construction, and hopefully the roadside trash will get cleaned up which is the worst in the US right now. $4 billion of construction in Wake County, NC alone.

ncupgrades by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[Tomahawkin]

Just saw on the ajc that around 830 million will be allocated to a 35 mile stretch of SR 316 to make it Freeway grade from Gwinnett to Oconee counties. This was 20+ years overdue IMO. I hope they replace the Riverside KWY bridge and add more exit ramps to the side roads in Gwinnett county. Sugarloaf and SR 20 both are utter hell to drive because of the traffic and has been for over a decade

[Gnutella]

Just saw on the ajc that around 830 million will be allocated to a 35 mile stretch of SR 316 to make it Freeway grade from Gwinnett to Oconee counties. This was 20+ years overdue IMO. I hope they replace the Riverside KWY bridge and add more exit ramps to the side roads in Gwinnett county. Sugarloaf and SR 20 both are utter hell to drive because of the traffic and has been for over a decade

This is what I've read is in store for Gwinnett County:


1. Hi-Hope Road will get an interchange, which will tie into the GA 20/GA 124/Collins Hill Road Interchange.

2. Progress Center Avenue will get an overpass.

3. Cedars Road will have no access to or from GA 316 eastbound, and will get a "RIRO" on GA 316 westbound.

4. Hurricane Trail will get an interchange.

5. Fence Road will have its terminus moved from GA 316 to Winder Highway, which will get an interchange.

6. Oak Valley Road and Williams Farm Drive will get a frontage road to access GA 316 at the new Harbins Road interchange.

7. Drowning Creek Road will get an interchange.

[architect77]

Regarding Gwinnett County:

They do make things happen and are trying to facilitate the growth to a degree.

I'd like to see the dangling shield signs on the Pleasant Hill Diverging Diamond interchange repaired after being that way for 2+ years. In fact this spot needs some reduction in the cluttered pieces of the diverging diamond. It's a small interchange and doesn't look good. Even if some of the black posts needed to be changed or eliminated, I think it would be worth simplifying.

I'd like to see the overheads near the 316 interchange that used a different yellow that's severely faded for EXIT ONLY portion replaced.

Jimmy Carter needs plenty of attention for replacing faded street signs.

If they could manage to do a good install job, the tiny lane shield signs strung over I-85 interchanges should be replaced with larger overhead, cantlievered desitnation signs like other states have.

Altanta and Georgia are in the big leagues now and overhead signs at junctions with interstates are needed. It's a huge, glaring omission.

[Tomahawkin]

Can you add state route 20 to the Gwinnett county wishlist???  That route is utter hell from Grayson to the Mall of GA. IMO SR 20 Should be 3 lanes in both directions along its entire route in GA

[US 89]

IMO SR 20 Should be 3 lanes in both directions along its entire route in GA

That would be a complete waste of money west of Cumming.

[Gnutella]

GA 316 UPDATE


The ramps for the GA 53 interchange are complete, and GA 316 traffic was shifted to them yesterday in preparation for the construction of two bridges that will carry GA 316 over GA 53.

[ukfan758]

Here is a video of the proposed truck lanes on I-75 between Macon and the ATL metro.

Given the amount of truck traffic that is on 75, that is going to cause a horrendous bottleneck (and probably a lot of accidents) when they all have to merge over from that 4th lane to the third in a short period. They should definitely look at extending the express lanes to a mile prior to the truck lane merge plus maintaining the fourth lane for a little bit longer.

[Plutonic Panda]

Would it not just be cheaper to widen the stretch to 10 lanes?

[architect77]

They are crazy to go to all that rebuilding of I-75 and all the construction on an active highway when they could build a new road further away even if it was longer in distance.

They are making everything so complicated by trying to remain in the existing right of way. This is rural Georgia. Buying land for a smaller 4 lane highway for trucks only would be way cheaper than this clusterf*ck of construction which will almost surely include narrow 11" general purpose lanes and tight shoulders.

If buying land for grand new highways was expensive then other states like NC wouldn't always be building hundreds of miles of new highways at any given time.

[Avalanchez71]

They are crazy to go to all that rebuilding of I-75 and all the construction on an active highway when they could build a new road further away even if it was longer in distance.

They are making everything so complicated by trying to remain in the existing right of way. This is rural Georgia. Buying land for a smaller 4 lane highway for trucks only would be way cheaper than this clusterf*ck of construction which will almost surely include narrow 11" general purpose lanes and tight shoulders.

If buying land for grand new highways was expensive then other states like NC wouldn't always be building hundreds of miles of new highways at any given time.

One could just take US 41.  Is that truck lane idea just for northbound only?  Is it reversible?

[Tomahawkin]

I would rather fund Interstate 3 from SW Tennessee to Savannah or Upgrade US 27 or SR 101 from the Chatt-Lanta area down to Florida, and make it a dollar toll for the whole route. I wish Georgia would be more aggressive in telling out of state Drivers like they do in Florida and Texas. And yes I do understand that there is no state income tax in both states

[roadman65]

http://www.dot.ga.gov/BuildSmart/Projects/Pages/I20SavannahRiver.aspx

I see for the next few years this will take place along I-20. Was there in September and saw activity already at the SC 230 interchange just east of the river crossing.

[Tom958]

One could just take US 41.  Is that truck lane idea just for northbound only?  Is it reversible?

It's northbound only. I've asked on several occasions (though not very forcefully) how they decided on a one-way roadway and the response is to explain why the one-way roadway is northbound instead of southbound. I haven't been able to find the project concept report online, either. I don't see how this could be the result of some nefarious plot, but GDOT certainly isn't very forthcoming about it.

[sprjus4]

Hopefully there's future plans to mirror a southbound concept. But who knows.

[Georgia]

The only reason I can think of that it would be northbound would be to drive the truck traffic towards the airport.

[architect77]

The only reason I can think of that it would be northbound would be to drive the truck traffic towards the airport.

I'll bet if they went and asked the owners of the properties where the lane has to temporarily move over into the center median of existing I-75 what they think the state should do: Go to all that trouble and staging and worker risk and tons of concrete and hours of more delay to current traffic just to avoid their properties or to sell for a nice price, move somewhere else, and avoid all of that extra hassle by letting the new lane stay outside existing 75.

I mean it's worth asking rather than just spend all that extra money and effort only to find out the owners would've gladly taken the money because they didn't care about the location anyway...It's loud because it's right beside a major freeway!

They are an odd DOT that seems so insular. I hate it.

[Georgia]

The only reason I can think of that it would be northbound would be to drive the truck traffic towards the airport.

I'll bet if they went and asked the owners of the properties where the lane has to temporarily move over into the center median of existing I-75 what they think the state should do: Go to all that trouble and staging and worker risk and tons of concrete and hours of more delay to current traffic just to avoid their properties or to sell for a nice price, move somewhere else, and avoid all of that extra hassle by letting the new lane stay outside existing 75.

I mean it's worth asking rather than just spend all that extra money and effort only to find out the owners would've gladly taken the money because they didn't care about the location anyway...It's loud because it's right beside a major freeway!

They are an odd DOT that seems so insular. I hate it.

I have never known many ROW negotiations to go terribly smoothly when state government is involved; but I guess it could have happened in this case with thousands of land owners. 

I mean, I would like to believe GDOT is saving the mainline of 75 for future widening/future transit/multi-modal of some sort.