The bulk of which is a four lane highway, U.S. 84 crosses South Georgia from the Alabama state line west of Jakin, 259.03 miles to Interstate 95 near Midway. U.S. 84 joins Dothan, Alabama with Bainbridge via Donalsonville, Iron City and Brinson. Through Bainbridge, U.S. 84 follows a freeway bypass to the south and overlapping with U.S. 27 for 3.11 miles. U.S. 27 angles southeast to Tallahassee, Florida while U.S. 84 turns east to Cairo and Thomasville.
U.S. 84 combines with U.S. 319 for 3.05 miles along the north side of Thomasville and with U.S. 19 for 2.85 miles along a commercialized arterial bypass to the east. Continuing from Boston into Brooks County, U.S. 84 merges with U.S. 221 at Quitman. The two overlap for 33.08 miles into Valdosta, where Business Loop I-75 accompanies the two on Hill Avenue between I-75 and U.S. 41 Business at Downtown.
U.S. 84 leaves Valdosta along a linear course to Naylor, Stockton in southern Lanier County and the Clinch County seat of Homerville. Construction completing the four lane expansion along U.S. 84 between U.S. 441 at Homerville and U.S. 1/23/82 at Waycross was completed in 2018.
Through Waycross, U.S. 84 follows Victory Drive north to U.S. 1-23-82/SR 520 (South Georgia Parkway). U.S. 84 overlaps with the four routes east 1.16 miles to the intersection of Jane and McDonald Streets. U.S. 84 shifts one block south onto Francis Street and then three blocks east to Plant Avenue below the viaduct taking U.S. 1-23-82/SR 520 over a CSX Railroad line. Plant Avenue angles U.S. 84 northeast to Downtown, where U.S. 1-23 Business dog leg alongside for 0.13 miles between Carswell Avenue (former SR 122) and Ossie Davis Parkway. U.S. 84 previously entered Waycross along a combination of Missouri Avenue north from Emerson Park to Glenmore Avenue and St. Nicholls Street. The relocation westward onto Victory Drive was approved by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on May 23, 1984.
U.S. 84 continues northeast from Waycross to Pierce County and SR 121 at Blackshear. The arterial route U.S. 84 takes through the city of Blackshear was completed in 1968 as a new alignment of U.S. 82 per the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on June 18, 1968. Connecting Jesup and Hinesville, U.S. 84 follows the previous route of U.S. 82. The eastern extent joins Fort Stewart with Interstate 95 in Liberty County.
Prior to 1988, when AASHTO approved the exchange between U.S. 82 and U.S. 84, U.S. 84 extended east from Waycross to the city of Brunswick. Both U.S. 82 and U.S. 84 were relocated so that U.S. 84 continued northeast from Waycross to I-95 at Midway, and U.S. 82 overtook former U.S. 84 east to I-95 outside Brunswick. The changes were made to simplify navigation, with the corridors from Valdosta to Savannah and Tifton to Brunswick using a single route number.
A number of State Routes were decommissioned within the city of Bainbridge. SR 97 was realigned to bypass Downtown along U.S. 84 east 2.72 miles from Faceville Road to Whigham Dairy Road in 2020.
When it was completed, the U.S. 84 freeway through Bainbridge was designated as SR 38 Loop. AASHO approved the relocation of both U.S. 27 and U.S. 84 onto it on October 14, 1967. U.S. 84 Business was assigned to Shotwell Street (old U.S. 84) across the city, and dropped from Dothan Road across the Flint River to West Bainbridge. Dothan Road was renumbered as U.S. 27 Business.
AASHTO approved the relocation of U.S. 84 onto the 4.8 mile long Thomasville bypass on June 26, 1985. The same action established a Business loop for U.S. 84 along the former route to Downtown, and realigned U.S. 84 to run in tandem with U.S. 19 south for 2.8 miles to a diamond interchange with Smith Avenue (former U.S. 84 west).
| U.S. 84/SR 38 commence west at a diamond interchange (Exit 76) with Interstate 95 in Liberty County. 09/22/14 |
| U.S. 84/SR 38 west at SR 15/121 (Main Street south / Gordon Street north) in the city of Blackshear. 11/21/21 |
| U.S. 84/221-SR 38 (Hill Avenue) west at Fry Street in Valdosta. 09/28/08 |
| U.S. 84/221-SR 38 partition into the couplet of Central Avenue west and Hill Avenue east at Barack Obama Boulevard (formerly Forrest Street). 09/28/08 |
| Reassurance markers precede Jones Street along Central Avenue westbound. 09/28/08 |
| U.S. 84/221 (Central Avenue) advance four blocks west from Hill Avenue to U.S. 41BU/SR 7BU (Ashley Street) northbound. 09/28/08 |
| U.S. 41BU/SR 7BU follow the couplet of Ashley Street north and Patterson Street south through Downtown Valdosta. 09/28/08 |
| The succeeding traffic light along U.S. 84/221-SR 38 (Central Avenue) west in Valdosta is at Lee Street. 09/28/08 |
| Although unmarked, U.S. 41BU/SR 7BU north is part of Business Loop I-75. 09/28/08 |
| U.S. 41BU/SR 7BU constitutes a 7.04 mile long loop through Valdosta while U.S. 41 bypasses the city to the east. 09/28/08 |
| Norman Drive is a major collector running 2.05 miles south from Baytree Road and Valdosta Road to U.S. 84/221(Hill Avenue) in the city of Valdosta. 06/26/22 |
| U.S. 84/221 (Hill Avenue) enter a folded diamond interchange (Exit 16) with Interstate 75 a tenth of a mile west of Norman Drive in Valdosta. 06/26/22 |
Sources:
- georgia.gov - City of Bainbridge.
http://bainbridge.georgia.gov/
- "Bainbridge Bypass Construction: What’s Going On?" SOWEGALive (Bainbridge, GA), March 22, 2019.
Photo Credits:09/28/08, 09/22/14, 11/21/21, 06/26/22 by AARoads
Connect with:
Interstate 75
Interstate 95
Business Loop I-75 - Valdosta
U.S. 1
U.S. 19
U.S. 23
U.S. 25
U.S. 27
U.S. 41
U.S. 82
U.S. 129
U.S. 221
U.S. 301
U.S. 319
U.S. 341
U.S. 441
Page Updated 09-22-2022.