Tuesday, December 26, 2006

I-75 Northbound Shut Down!!!

After nearly 12 hours on the road, we're back from Florida.

We had a wonderful time with her folks and even worked in some "roadgeek time" around Lakeland and Polk County for some video shots of the Polk Parkway (Toll FL 570) for its own episode of "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!".

I also shot some potential "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" video footage in other various spots between Atlanta and Lakeland, enough to produce at least 2 additional episodes (one for Georgia and another of various Florida road scenes). My goal is to put these together this week and have them ready for y'all by New Years Day.

Now, here's the story about our journey tonight between Macon and Atlanta...

On our way home this evening, I-75 northbound was absolutely shut down due to all lanes being blocked at Exit 205 (GA 16/Griffin/Jackson). We encountered the traffic jam just before Exit 193 (Johnstonville Road) in Monroe County, and exited I-75 at Exit 198 (High Falls Road). The whole mess eventually resulted in a traffic jam that extended from Exit 218 (GA 20/81/McDonough/Hampton) all the way down to I-475!!!

To get around it, we took High Falls Road east to GA 36 east, which took us into Jackson. From Jackson, we took US 23/GA 42 through Jenkinsburg, Locust Grove, and into McDonough. From the McDonough town square, we proceeded west on Jonesboro Road, which took us back to I-75. I will admit, however, that I enjoyed riding these "roads less travelled" and enjoyed going through these quaint old towns that the Interstates by-pass. :)

For now, here is a special "blog reader only" video of I-475 southbound near Macon. (NOTE: This will not be available via "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" or elsewhere on the website.)

Hope y'all had a Merry Christmas, thanks for reading, hope y'all enjoy the video clip, and please come back again.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you got to take a nice tour of my home county, Henry. I live in unincorporated Henry County (if you turned right once you entered the square onto Keys Ferry Road and then left onto Cedar Street/GA20, drove for about 7 minutes *literally*, you would have ended up near me). You should head back that way next summer when *hopefully* Jonesboro Road will be finished. It appears that it will become a four lane divided highway, one way out of the square (on Jonesboro Road) and one way direction into the square (on GA 20/81). Mighty interesting.

Anonymous said...

We must've been an hour or two behind you, GRG. We got off in Forsyth and took the loop ramp down to SR 42 North (poorly signed!). We drove through the villages of Blount, Indian Springs (and the state park of the same name), made the turn in Flovilla to stay on 42 North, and kept on going up to McDonough. We then took 155 North to DeKalb County, and home via Snapfinger, Wesley Chapel, and I-20. Must've saved ourselves at least an hour, and viewed some scenic cotton fields and old houses/mansions in the process.

I wish I understood why that portion of I-75 between SR 36 and I-675 was so snakebitten on holiday weekends. Sure, the terrain is a little more rolling than what's south of Macon, but everytime I'm returning from a trip to Florida, I always run into problems there.

dc5raj said...

my parents live down by stockbridge and i live in midtown by 17th street, looked out the window and saw it shut down, wondered whats going on, thats crazy stuff