Our Savannah Trip

Last weekend, my wife Mary and I went on a weekend getaway to Savannah to check out the sites.

Our first stop was the Savannah Visitors Center, located just north of where I-16 dumps you into the downtown area (Montgomery Street).

From there, we did the Gray Line trolley tour that took us all over the historic district. We highly recommend the tour. In fact, if you can, see if you can get the guide named Gary, who is a former radio announcer and self-proclaimed "railfan".

At about noontime, we got off the trolley near "The Pirates House", an old restaurant and pirates' hangout from 1753 that has a wonderful lunch buffet.

After lunch, we walked over to the riverfront district, went into some of the shops, saw the "waving girl" statue, and just "hung out" for awhile. We also got a good shot of the Talmadge Bridge.

Our last sightseeing stop was the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, which had a nice collection of old locomotives, passenger cars, and a HO-scale railroad setup operated by the Coastal Rail Buffs model railroading club. Again, this is a "must see" IMHO.

Being "The Georgia Road Geek", I had to partake of the hobby, of course. :)

I had taken at least a half-dozen photos. We even made a couple of videos of us traveling along a portion of I-16 from Chatham Parkway to the Talmadge Bridge (US 17 North/GA 404 Spur North), and then, later in the afternoon before leaving town, we drove on the Talmadge Bridge into South Carolina. During that jaunt, Mary took the video camera (a CVS photo special) and videoed us traveling back and forth. Once we use up about 6 more minutes of video, we'll take it back to CVS to be made into a DVD.

Here's Mary's first roadgeek photo taken on US 17 just yards from the end of the bridge:

If I may say so, my lovely wife makes a fine "roadgeek" and thank goodness she supports my endeavors. :)

BTW, Mary is into scrapbooking and has promised to do a "roadgeek scrapbook" with the photos I have taken over the years. Like building a new road, it is in the "planning stage" and construction will eventually start upon completion of our wedding scrapbook. Once it gets done, I'll let y'all know.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

The Northern Arc Is Back

The Northern Arc is back... well, at least a small portion of it is.

Fellow road enthusiasts, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Georgia's proposed "411 Connector".

Upon completion, it will be a 4-lane divided highway that will link I-75 directly to the interchange of US 41/GA 3 and US 411/GA 20 in Bartow County, thus providing a quicker route to Rome. Furthermore, it is being promoted as an economic development initiative for Bartow County, Floyd County (Rome), and the rest of Northwest Georgia's counties along the US 27/GA 1 GRIP corridor from Rome to Chattanooga.

In the early 1960's, the Georgia DOT (GDOT) built a 4-lane divided highway stretching from US 41/GA 3 toUS 27/GA 1 in Rome. This highway was not built to interstate standards, nor is there any proposal to upgrade it.

Initially, it was signed US 411/GA 344, but by 1978, the GA 20 designation replaced GA 344.

The original US 411, located north of the current one, was simply GA 20 until 1978, when it became GA 293.

Since 1986, there had been plans to extend this highway directly to I-75, but it was later modified to become the westernmost part of the now-defunct Northern Arc (a GRIP corridor that would have been GA 500).

There are at least six (6) different proposed routes for this extension. At least 2 of them would include a diamond interchange with US 411/GA 61 north of Cartersville, thus giving hope that at least this part will be a full-blown limited-access highway.

Currently, to travel from Atlanta to Rome, here's what you have to do:

- Take I-75 north to GA 20 West.

- Take GA 20 West to US 41/GA 3 North. (At this point, US 411 leaves GA 61 and joins the mix.)

- Proceed north on US 41/411/GA 20 until you reach the trumpet interchange that will put you on the current US 411/GA 20 4-lane road to Rome.

According to the Rome News-Tribune and the U.S. House of Representatives, this has been put on a federal "fast track" with over 20 other proposed highway projects nationwide.

For your reading and roadgeeking pleasure, here are the news articles:

- Transportation Equity Act has $21,000,000 for "411 Connector" (U.S. House of Representatives, 3/10/2005)

- Federal Bill Includes 411 Connector Funds (Rome News-Tribune, 3/11/2005).

For the proposed routes and up-to-date info, please see the GDOT "411 Connector" website.

If you have any other info regarding the "411 Connector", then please e-mail steve#georgiaroadgeek.com (NOTE: Spam filter in effect. Please change # to @ before e-mailing.)

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting, thanks in advance for your comments, and please come back soon.

Who Will Reconstruct The I-85/GA 316 Interchange?

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, today (10/21 @ 11:00:59 AM) is the day that the Georgia DOT (GDOT) will possibly pick the contractor for the $100,000,000 job to reconstruct the interchange of I-85 and GA 316.

Please click here for the full article.

The current interchange was built in the early 1960's when Gwinnett County was a rural, sparsely-populated place.

From the late 1970's onward, Gwinnett County grew, and grew, and grew. During the 1980's, it was the fastest growing county in the U.S.

During all this time of growth, the road infrastructure was woefully inadequate for the new demands put on it.

While I-85 was widened during the 1980's and HOV lanes were added in the late 1990's, its interchange at GA 316 (a.k.a. University Parkway) remained about the same as it was when both roads were originally built.

And now, a brief history of GA 316 itself...

GDOT originally planned GA 316 as an interstate-standard expressway from I-85 to Athens.

As of 1965, GA 316 extended merely 5 miles (9 km) from I-85, dead-ending at GA 120 just outside Lawrenceville. (Interestingly enough, the highway sign from I-85 had always given both Lawrenceville and Athens as control cities.)

As a child growing up in Gwinnett County, I remember the dead-end, the bridge that went over nothing, and just a patch of woods being on the other side of the bridge.

In 1981, GDOT opened an extension of GA 316 from GA 120 to US 29/GA 8 near Dacula. This stretch was 4-lanes divided, but with intersections instead of interchanges, thus not interstate-standard. For the next 12 years, it simply dead-ended at US 29/GA 8.

Finally, GDOT decided to extend GA 316 all the way to the Athens area, but again, not interstate-standard.

The first stretch of the extension opened in 1993, bringing GA 316 to GA 11 in Barrow County. At that time, US 29 was rerouted onto GA 316, GA 11, and then back to its original route just east of Winder.

The final eastern stretch of GA 316 from GA 11 to the Athens Perimeter (GA 10 Loop/GA 422) opened to traffic in 1995.

US 29 was then rerouted onto GA 316, and GA 8 was rerouted onto GA 316 at the GA 53 intersection. This section included a new diamond interchange with US 78/GA 10 in Oconee County (the first new interchange on GA 316 since the 1960's). At that point, US 78 was rerouted onto GA 316 along with US 29/GA 8.

Once you reached the Athens Perimeter at what was originally the Epps Bridge Road exit, US 29/GA 8, and US 78 were rerouted onto the outer part of the loop, taking them toward the University of Georgia.

Going forward from GA 316, it becomes what is now Epps Bridge Parkway (formerly Epps Bridge Road), a locally-maintained 4-lane divided road that funnels traffic into Downtown Athens. (Coming from Downtown Athens, you will see a sign that says "TO GA 316/Epps Bridge Pkwy/Atlanta". This is a left-hand exit from US 78 Business/GA 10 West (a.k.a. Broad Street)).

As for the "old US 29"...

The section between Dacula and Winder was simply GA 8 until GDOT decided to give it the US 29 Business designation just before 2000. Locals, however, still refer to it as "Highway 8" or "Old 29".

The "old US 29/GA 8" from GA 53 to what is now US 78 Business/GA 10 in Clarke County was given to the local governments to maintain.

As of now, there hasn't really been much talk in the news about the GDOT public/private proposal to upgrade the remainder of GA 316 to interstate standards with tollbooths.

For some more GA 316 and Athens Perimeter info and pictures, please see the GA 316 and Athens Perimeter webpages on AA Roads's Georgia Gateway.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come back soon.

Has Dahlonega Moved Closer To Atlanta?!!!

At least the Georgia DOT (GDOT) seems to think so. :)

Over the past couple of weeks, GDOT has been placing several new big green signs (BGS) along US 19/GA 400 between I-85 and Haynes Bridge Road (Exit 9).

One of the new BGS has replaced the following button copy sign located northbound between Northridge Road (Exit 6) and the Chattahoochee River:

Please click here to see the old sign (from AA Roads's Georgia Gateway website).

The new BGS reads as follows: "Roswell 9, Dahlonega 26"... a really big "boo-boo" by GDOT. :)

In other BGS replacement news, here's what else has been replaced and or added so far:

- New "Next 3 Exits" BGS have been placed in the median between I-285 and Holcomb Bridge Road.

- Southbound: New mileage sign "Sandy Springs 5, Interstate-285 4" between Northridge Road and the MARTA North Springs Transit Station (Exit 5C).

- Exit 4B: New BGS acknowledging "US 19 South, Exit 4B", first time since 1981.

- Exit 5 Southbound: New BGS "Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, Exit 1/2 Mile" and "Abernathy Rd, Exit 5".

- Exit 6 Southbound: New BGS "Northridge Rd, Exit 1/2 Mile".

- Exits 7A-B Northbound: New BGS "GA 140/Roswell/Norcross, Exit 1 Mile".

- Exit 8 Northbound: New BGS "Mansell Road/Alpharetta, Exit 1/2 Mile".

- Exits 12A-B NorthBound: New BGS "McFarland Rd, Exits 1 Mile" and "McFarland Rd, Exit 1/2 Mile".

- New Exit 12B: BGS "McFarland Road West" exit sign.

Also, most of the assurance markers for US 19/GA 400 between I-285 and GA 306 (Exit 17) have been replaced with much larger ones.

More BGS replacements are being made and I'll let you know what else I find.

Here are how some of the BGS along US 19/GA 400 should read IMHO:

- Exit 7B Northbound BGS: "TO GA 92/GA 140 West/Roswell/Woodstock"

- Exit 10 Southbound BGS: "GA 120/Old Milton Pkwy/Alpharetta/Duluth"

- Exit 13 Northbound BGS: "TO GA 9/GA 141/Peachtree Pkwy/Cumming"

- Exit 13 Southbound BGS: "GA 141/Peachtree Pkwy/Norcross"

- Exit 17 Northbound BGS: "GA 306/Keith Bridge Rd/Gainesville"

- Exit 17 Southbound BGS: "GA 306/Keith Bridge Rd/Cumming"

And furthermore, at the intersection of McFarland Road and GA 9 (Atlanta Hwy), there should be "TO US 19/GA 400" trailblazer signs to assist those who may not be familiar with the area. Ditto for McFarland Road's other end at McGinnis Ferry Road.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share them by either posting a comment on the blogsite or e-mailing steve#georgiaroadgeek.com (NOTE: Please replace # with @ before e-mailing.).

Thanks for visiting, please tell all your friends about "The Georgia Road Geek" blogsite, and please visit again.

Georgia 400 - Then and Now

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia 400 will be widened from Holcomb Bridge Road (Exit 7 Southbound, Exits 7A-B Northbound) in Roswell to McFarland Road (Exit 12 Southbound, Exits 12A-B Northbound) in Forsyth County.

Please click here to read the article.

From the North Springs MARTA station (Exit 5C Southbound) to Windward Parkway (Exit 11), the shoulders were widened to accomodate buses, who are allowed to use them once traffic slows to 35 MPH or
less.

Currently, the Georgia DOT is in the process of replacing all the big green signs along Georgia 400.

A Brief History of Georgia 400

The first phase of Georgia 400 was opened in 1968 from I-285 into North Fulton County.

Before 1979, it had been completed as far north as Georgia 306 (then-Exit 13, now Exit 17) in Forsyth County.

Originally, there were interstate aspirations for this highway that would have gone into North Carolina, possibly making it an Atlanta-to-Asheville interstate, but by 1979, the northern plans were "watered down" and Georgia 400 was extended north not as an interstate-standard highway, but instead as a 4-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections.

In 1979, the first phase was opened from Georgia 306 to Georgia 53 in Dawson County. (NOTE: The City ofAtlanta owns a lot of land in southern Dawson County near what is now the North Georgia Premium Outlet mall. That land was for a now-defunct proposed second Atlanta airport. If the airport were to have been built, then Georgia 400 would have been an interstate-standard highway at least as far as Georgia 53.)

It's final northward leg to Georgia 60 in Lumpkin County was completed in 1981. At that same time, US 19 was rerouted onto Georgia 400 from Roswell Road. From that point northward to Dahlonega, the original US 19 route became simply known as Georgia 9.

At the northern end of Georgia 400, US 19 joins Georgia 60, then it rejoins Georgia 9 just outside ofDahlonega at the Morrison Moore Intersection near North Georgia College (my alma mater). Originally, US 19 went into the Dahlonega town square. That stretch is now Business US 19/Business Georgia 60.

In August, 1993, the controversial southward extension from I-285 to I-85 was completed as a toll expressway.

Until the mid-1990's, mile markers ran continuously from I-85 (Mile 0) to Georgia 60 (Mile 52). The Georgia DOT changed them to start and end at each county line, just like non-interstate surface highways. That is why the exit numbers remain sequential.

Speaking of mile markers, there is a "Mile 24" marker at the new Exit 12B (McFarland Road West) in Forsyth County. Just before Exit 12A (McFarland Road East), there is a "Mile 1" marker. I guess somebody didn't "get the memo" on the mile marker change. :)

Original Georgia DOT plans had the southward extension proceed further south, parallelling US 23/Georgia 42 (Moreland Avenue), cutting through what is now the Carter Center at Freedom Parkway (originally proposed as the Stone Mountain Tollway/Georgia 410 and I-485), and ending at I-75. The part of Georgia 400 from I-285 in DeKalb County to I-75 at the Clayton/Henry County line eventually became I-675, which was completed in 1988.

My Upgrade Proposal (Forsyth and Dawson Counties)

With the opening of the southern extension came a major growth spurt in Forsyth and Dawson Counties, said growth putting a major stress and strain on the infrastructures of that region... especially traffic.

Forsyth County alone has "exploded" since the 1990's, quickly transforming itself from a rural "all-white" area to a more diverse Atlanta suburb with an ever-increasing number of subdivisions and strip malls.

As of the 2000 Census, Dawson County was added to the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) due to its significant population growth... all because of Georgia 400.

The growth has not been kind to Georgia 400. In fact, the stretch north of Georgia 306 has become innundatedwith traffic lights and more and more strip malls, especially since the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall was opened in the mid-1990s.

Given the growth and the increased traffic volume, I firmly believe that the Georgia DOT should look at upgrading Georgia 400 to interstate standards at least up to Georgia 53. To accomodate the businesses thathave since taken root, there could be a network of "frontage roads" built. Furthermore, there should be atleast 3 lanes on each side to accomodate traffic volumes. And another thing... this work should be done withno tolls such as those proposed for the Georgia 316 upgrades from Lawrenceville to Athens.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours regarding Georgia 400?

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

Welcome To "The Georgia Road Geek"

Welcome to the Internet's newest roadgeek blogsite, "The Georgia Road Geek".

My name is Steve Williams, a lifetime resident of the Atlanta area.

Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in roads and everything about them... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Part of my love came out of being the "navigator" for my parents when we'd go on trips. I've been hooked on roads since. :)

In late 1997, I discovered that there were many others in cyberspace who shared my interest in roads.

From 1997 through 2002, I created and supported a website called "The Unofficial Georgia Highways Webpage", one of the first such sites from Georgia. Due to other commitments over the past few years such as Toastmasters, I really haven't done anything with the site, however.

My major interest in roadgeeking is the Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP), a program started in the late 1980's by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to create non-interstate 4-lane corridors throughout the state and put every Georgia city within 20 miles (32 km) of a 4-lane highway, all in the name of economic development.

So far, two (2) GRIP corridors have been completed. They are as follows:

• Appalachian Developmental Highway (Georgia Highway 515), which runs from the northern end of I-575 in Pickens County to the North Carolina state line in Towns County.
• South Georgia Parkway (Georgia Highway 520), which runs from the Alabama state line in Columbus-Muscogee County to Jekyll Island.

For more GRIP information from GDOT, please click here.

For a wealth of overall information on Georgia's roads, I highly recommend you visit the Georgia Gateway page on AARoads, a site maintained by 2 of the Internet's "superstar road enthusiasts", Alex Nitzman and Andy Field.

In the future, I will be posting blogs regarding my recent observations along Georgia's highways.

You are also invited to post your own comments as well.

The next step will be adding the new domain name that I just purchased from Yahoo! Domains.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please do so often.

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