Happy Labor Day, Y'all!

Over the past 2 weeks, Mary and I have been on vacation, so you might say we've had a very extended Labor Day weekend. On Tuesday, it'll be time for both of us to go back to "the real world". :(

It's been a wonderful 2 weeks that included a lot of sightseeing in Washington, DC, and Virginia, spending a lot of "quality time" with each other and with my family, and of course, a whole lotta "roadgeeking" and updates to "The Georgia Road Geek".

Why do I do this "roadgeek stuff"? Simple... I love roads and I love to share my experiences and thoughts with you, the reader.

I also have to thank yet again my loving and supporting wife, Mary, for all her support of my hobby. BTW, she's the one that took the picture of "The Biggest Butt In South Carolina". :)

Thank you for reading my blogs, looking at my photos, and for all your support.

May you and yours have a happy and safe Labor Day.

I-85 NB Scenes In GA - August 19, 2006 (Pt. 2)

Well, dear reader, that darned webpage-creatin' frenzy just struck me again!!! :)

For your viewing pleasure, I have just created and published the final special feature page for our most recent I-85 northbound trip in Georgia. Please click here to see it.

For a special bonus toe-tappin' "roadgeek treat" (a 20-second Quicktime movie), then please click here.

That'll be it for now... unless that frenzy strikes me again tonight. Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoy my work, and please come back again.

I-85 NB Scenes In GA - August 19, 2006 (Pt. 1)

Well, dear reader, I've just created and published yet another special feature page.

This is the first in a series of I-85 northbound pictures that I took as the wife and I headed toward Virginia and DC, and there will be more to come. Please click here to see them.

That's it for today. Hope y'all enjoy them, thanks for visiting, and please come back again.

Virginia Roads And A GA 400 Update

First of all, regarding my last blog...

Michael Roberson (a.k.a. "Mapmikey"), co-curator of the Virginia Highways Project website, posted the following comment on both the Southeast Roads Yahoo! Group (seroads) and misc.transport.road...

There are numerous state-maintained routes in Virginia shorter than this.

Primary: VA 54Y is 0.03 mi
VA 201Y is 0.11 mi
VA 300Y is 0.04 mi
other Y routes that are now gone were shorter than that (208Y, 340Y)
VA 124 is 0.17 mi gone now but VA 289 was 0.13 mi (Wythe County)
VA 332 is 0.14 mi
VA 335 is 0.18 mi
VA 342 is 0.16 mi
VA 349 is 0.12 mi
VA 363 is 0.14 mi
VA 374 is 0.14 mi
VA 390 is 0.13 mi
VA 391 is 0.17 mi
VA 399 is 0.11 mi

The list of secondary routes less than this is astronomical but F-338 on VA 30 at I-95 is listed officially at 0.03 mi but the end state maintenance sign appears to be much closer to VA 30 than 150 ft.

A very special thanks to "Mapmikey" for the clarification and we here at "The Georgia Road Geek" encourage you, dear reader, to visit his website to learn more about Virginia's roads. :)

And finally, some new Georgia road news regarding GA 400...

According to an article published on Sunday, August 13, 2006, in the Forsyth County News, Georgia State Transpotation Board Chairman Mike Evans stated that the US 19/GA 400 widening between HolcombBridge Road (Exit 7) and Windward Parkway (Exit 11) should be complete by October 31, 2006, and the portion from Windward to McFarland Parkway (Exit 12) will be completed by February 28, 2007.

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

The Shortest State Highway In America?

Dear reader, I have been on a webpage-creatin' frenzy since getting back from Washington. :)

At 0.18 miles, VA Secondary Route 1015 in Fluvanna County, VA, seems to be the shortest state highway in America? Please click here for the special feature page I created.

If there are any state-maintained routes that are shorter, I'd like to know. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

That's all for now, but considering the roll I've been on, you never, ever know. :)

Thanks for visiting and please do so often.

Welcome Center Photos - August, 2006

Dear Reader,

Just a quick post before I go do some household chores...

As part of the ongoing Special Features Pages series, I have added yet another page with photos from the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia welcome centers. Please click here to see the new page.

Well, it's time to get the "recyclables" taken care of. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

NEW: Special Feature Pages

New to "The Georgia Road Geek"... Special Feature Pages!!!

Whenever I do a blog and create a special feature page to go along with it, that page's URL will be linked from the Special Feature Pages section. For example, the "Old US 41 (Dixie Highway) in Adairsville" page is now available through this particular archive site.

A special thanks to fellow road enthusiast Adam Prince of Gribble Nation for suggesting this.

Finally, for a really, really special "roadgeek treat"..... please click here.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting, please tell all your friends about us, and please visit often.

Our DC, Maryland, and Virginia Trip

Steve at NC Welcome Center on I-85 NB (Photo taken by Mary Williams)

Today (Sunday, 8/27) at approximately 2:45 PM, just south of Greensboro, NC... I have now driven every mile of I-85 from Montgomery, AL, to Petersburg, VA!!! :)

Mary and I spent the last week in the Washington, DC, metro area. Other than "roadgeeking", we got to tour The White House, The Capitol, the Holocaust Museum, Arlington Cemetery, and the Smithsonian Air and Space and American History museums. We also visited Mount Vernon, saw Mary's old house in Chantilly (just south of the Dulles Airport), and did a lot of scenic driving and "roadgeeking". We also attended part of the Toastmasters International convention at the Hilton Washington. We actually stayed in Alexandria, VA, and took the DC Metro train for most of our DC visits. Kudos to the Metro for being convenient to most of the sites we visited.

Before reaching DC, we headed up US 29 to Charlottesville, VA, to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and spend the night with her old friend Katherine. Thanks to Katherine, her husband Larry, and her mother Bunny for a wonderful time, plus a suggested scenic drive between Charlottesville and Fredericksburg that we took on our way to the DC area.

Besides clinching I-85, I also clinched I-295 in DC/Maryland, did some driving on I-64, I-66, I-81, I-395, I-495, and of course I-95 between I-85 and I-295 in Maryland. In addition to adding some new interstate driving mileage, I also added boatloads of new counties in DC, MD, NC, and VA, and even drove over the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

I took over 400 photos, and even Mary took several while we were on I-495 between Connecticut Avenue in Maryland to I-95/395 in Alexandria. Eventually, I'll go through them and share the best ones with y'all.

That's all for now. It's getting late, we've only been home since 8:30 PM, and I'm tired after nearly 12 hours on the road. Mary went to bed over an hour ago and I'm gonna join her.

Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

The Old Dixie Highway In Adairsville

Last weekend, Mary and I went back to Subligna for her father's annual family reunion and Subligna Methodist Church homecoming.

On the way back home Sunday, we briefly stopped in Adairsville to get a photo of a Dixie Highway sign that we'd seen on GA 140 for the longest time. Since the sign on GA 140 was not in a good spot for a photo, we pulled off the road onto a street that turned out to be part of the old US 41... The Dixie Highway itself!!! :)

For your viewing pleasure, I have created a new page featuring the photos we took.

Next Saturday, we're heading to Washington, DC, and northern Virginia to see the sights and attend the Toastmasters convention. Since I'll be driving us up there and back, I'll be "clinching" a ton of new counties in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia (for Harper's Ferry), and hopefully at least one or two in Maryland. Oh yeah... by the time we get back, we will have "clinched" all of I-85!!! :)

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy the photos, and please visit often.

The GA 400 Survival Kit

This afternoon as I was making my way toward home, the traffic on both I-285 outer loop and GA 400 northbound was horrendous... even more than usual!!!

Thankfully, I had my ham radio rig in the truck and QSOing (talking) with fellow hams David, Hutch, Marshall, and James on the Atlanta Radio Club's (ARC) 146.82 MHz repeater really helped make the ride a little more bearable.

During my QSO with David, he mentioned that he avoids GA 400 whenever possible and I can't blame him for doing so. He even (jokingly) had the idea of a "GA 400 survival kit" that would include provisions (food, water, etc.) for all those long times one spends in traffic on that infamous Metro Atlanta road.

While I may not literally pack provisions, I am thankful for my own "survival kit", my ham radio rig... and for all the hams I talk to on both the ARC repeater and the Sawnee Mountain Amateur Group's 147.15 MHz repeater. You guys are great!!! :)

That's all for now. I'm getting ready for tomorrow and I'll be going to bed soon.

Thanks, dear reader, for visiting, reading, and for all your support.

The Videos Are Back

Since we now have boatloads of webserver space, we've uploaded our small collection of self-produced "roadgeek videos" for your viewing pleasure. Please click here for the video page.

That's all for tonight. Thanks for visiting and please come back often.

Website Changes

Dear Reader,

For future expansion of "The Georgia Road Geek", we have moved the non-blog website contents to our new web hosting service "Go Daddy".

As you may have noticed on the main page, we have made some website design changes, including a new main menu and a consolidated links page.

Thanks to "Go Daddy", we even have our own georgiaroadgeek.com e-mail accounts and have made it easier for you, the reader, to contact us. To e-mail us, please go to the main menu.

It's getting to be time for our afternoon "Sunday Siesta", so that's all for now. Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy the new look and feel of "The Georgia Road Geek".

We Got A Response

Regarding the name change from "McFarland Road" to "McFarland Parkway", here's the response we received from the Forsyth County Roads and Bridges Department:

Mr. Williams,

On April 20, 2006 the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners re-named McFarland Road to McFarland Parkway. The Georgia Department of Transportation has modified the exist signs on SR 400, at the ramps, and at SR 9.

We will be changing out all the overhead signs along McFarland Road at the signalized locations.

Please let me know if you need any additional information from me regarding this change.

Tim Allen
Assistant Director of Engineering

My e-mail was sent to Mr. Douglas Armstrong, who promptly forwarded the inquiry to Mr. Allen. "The Georgia Road Geek" kindly thanks both these gentlemen for their timely response.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

What's Up With That?

Today, as I made my way north up GA 400, I noticed that the Georgia DOT has replaced BGSes (that's "Big Green Signs") for McFarland Road (Exit 12 South/12A-B North) with new ones that say "McFarland Pkwy".

Forsyth County, who maintains this particular road, has not changed street signs... at least not yet.

Being "The Georgia Road Geek", my inquiring mind wants to know what's up with that, so I sent an e-mail to the Forsyth County Roads and Bridges Department. As soon as I get an answer, I'll share it with y'all.

In any event, this looks like yet another "roadgeek photo op", so I'll get a picture taken and post it for your viewing pleasure ASAP.

Has anyone else out there read the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) article regarding future roads and road improvements and the ideas of putting tolls on them? What's up with that? Click here to read it for yourself and please feel free to share your comments with us.

As I've said in past blogs, we have brought much of this mess upon ourselves by allowing development to get out-of-hand... and the politicians want us literally to pay to fix it with public-private initiative projects (PPIs) that will slap tolls on all newly constructed roads and newer lanes parallelling segments of existing roads. To our politicans, I say let's get a handle on the out-of-control growth first and foremost instead of just throwing money at projects that, at best, will be nothing but temporary "band-aids". Here's another AJC article listing the current PPIs proposed for Georgia.

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

Our 15 Minutes Of Fame

The late Andy Warhol once said that everyone will get their "15 minutes of fame"... and we just got ours, thanks to the Roswell Neighbor.

Please click here to read the article written by Joan Durbin.

One minor point of clarification... I am 42, not 55. :)

Hope y'all enjoyed it, thanks for visiting and your support, and please visit often.

My News Interview

A couple of weeks ago, the Roswell Neighbor newspaper ran a solicitation asking people about their commutes on GA 400 and what they do in their vehicle during such times.

Since I drive up and down GA 400 to and from work, I sent them an e-mail talking about my ham radio and roadgeeking... and they wanted to hear more!!! :)

Last Wednesday, I had a noon phone interview Joan Durbin. We had a real nice chat about what ham radio is, what we talk about on the ham radio, and last, but not least, my roadgeeking and what it's all about. During our interview, Joan was browsing this blogsite plus my "clinched" Interstate page. She was very fascinated as to why I was a self-proclaimed "roadgeek" and what led me to become such.

At 4:30 PM that same day, I met up with Skip, one of their photographers, at the Mansell MARTA Park and Ride lot off Exit 8 (Mansell Road), and he rode with me up GA 400 to Exit 10 (GA 120/Old Milton Parkway) and back, taking tons of pictures of me talking on my 2m VHF ham radio and the traffic jam in front of me. Before I dropped Skip off back at the Mansell lot, I gave him my e-mail address so that he could send me the photo(s) that they will use in the Roswell Neighbor.

As soon as the article comes out, I'll let y'all know.

Many thanks to Joan and Skip for their interest and time, my fellow ham radio operators for our QSOs (conversations) while Skip took pictures, and finally, thanks to you for reading and supporting "The Georgia Road Geek".

That's all for now. Have a great weekend!!!

Pine Log Diversion

Last Monday, on our way back home from Subligna, Mary spotted a "See Rock City" barn on US 411/GA 61 just yards north of GA 140. She wanted to snap a picture of it and I happily obliged her. :) Here's the photo...

Just after snapping the pic, we ventured a little further north on US 411 and wound up turning at the tunnel bridge. There we spotted a green historical marker for the Pine Log United Methodist Church, so we went under the bridge to see the church. Here's a picture of the marker itself...

Not only did we see the church (a beautiful one at that), but we also got a look at the bridge, which is featured in J.T. Legg's Peach State Roads website. Here's our own photo of it...

Here's also a closeup of the old "JUNCTION US 411/GA 61" sign...

My wife wanted to move the kudzu, but I asked her to leave it "as is" for a somewhat "artistic" purpose. In today's vernacular, I wanted her to "keep it real". :)

For J.T. Legg's pictures and his perspective, please click here.

I'm glad my wife wanted to get a picture of the "See Rock City" barn. It also goes to show that when you venture off the beaten path sometimes, you never know what you'll encounter. Besides that and the old historic church, it was really neat to see the old tunnel bridge that I've only seen on J.T.'s website. In the end, I got a little history... and a little unexpected "extra roadgeeking" done.

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

Mary's Scenic Byway

Yesterday (Sunday, 7/2/2006), my wife and I did a three-hour jaunt from Subligna and back as follows...

- Gore-Subligna Road to US 27/GA 1.
- US 27/GA 1 to GA 48 in Summerville.
- GA 48/AL 117 to I-59 (Exit 231) in Hammondville, AL.
- I-59 to GA 136 (Exit 11) in Trenton.
- GA 136 to East Armuchee Road.
- East Armuchee Road to Gore-Subligna Road.

Our first stop was in Summerville to see the railroad turntable that was installed in 2003 thanks to some federal transportation funding that almost did not happen due to the 9/11 attacks. Here's a photo we took...

After visiting the turntable, we proceeded west on GA 48 toward Alabama. This was the first of many scenic portions that we encountered, as GA 48 meandered its way over Lookout Mountain and on into Alabama, where it becomes AL 117.

Along AL 117 between the Georgia Line and I-59, we noticed that almost every road (including several dirt roads) were signed with blue pentagon county route markers. Here's an example (please pardon the photo quality)...

There were even some blue county route markers that contained the number but not the county name.

The next scenic view on AL 117 was found between Mentone and Valley Hill.

After stopping for gas in Valley Hill, we made our way to I-59, which we took from AL 117 (Exit 231) to GA 136 (Exit 11) in Trenton. At that point in our journey, we had "clinched" 2 new counties... DeKalb County, Alabama, and Dade County, Georgia!!! Here's the scene as we approached the Georgia state line on I-59...

Initially, I was planning to "clinch" all of I-59 in GA up to its end at I-24 and make my way eastward toward Chattanooga, but my wife suggested taking GA 136 (a.k.a. "Lookout Mountain Parkway") instead. Initially, I was relunctant, but I'm glad that I did so.... because the drive on GA 136 around Lookout Mountain from Dade into Walker County was really awesome with its breathtaking scenery and the "hairpin curves". IMHO, this is the best stretch of mountain road we've ever been on since driving the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway.

Back to the subject of county routes, we noticed that, in Dade County, the street signs all tended to have the Dade County route number along with the street or road name. In Georgia, county route numbers are marked with long green signs behind the "STOP" sign (if they are even marked at all), but I found Dade County's system somewhat interesting.

We finally left GA 136 at its 4-way intersection with GA 201 and East Armuchee Road (part of the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway). In just under 3 hours time, we finally made it back to Subligna.

The only part of the drive that we were not fond of were the extremely narrow bridges we crossed along AL 117, but it looked like Alabama DOT was grading out land and getting ready to replace one of them in the Mentone/Valley Hill vicinity.

Overall, we considered this to be a very good scenic trip and highly recommend it for anyone interested in both scenery and roads.

In honor of my lovely wife, I, "The Georgia Road Geek", do hereby designate this entire route as "Mary's Scenic Byway"!!! :)

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

Belated Birthday Greetings

Dear readers, I was amiss in not posting a "Happy 50th Birthday" message yesterday to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate System, so here goes....

Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday To You
Happy 50th Birthday Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate System...
Happy Birthday To Yooooooooou.

... and many moooooore!!! :)

Last week, I had contemplated the idea of getting a birthday cake made for this occasion, but I did not follow through with it. If you did, or know of anyone else (besides state DOTs), then please let us know.

May y'all have a wonderful, happy, and safe 4th of July weekend.

4 Days And Counting!!!

As I write this blog, it is 4 more days until that great day in "roadgeekdom"... the Interstate Highway System's 50th Birthday!!!

Yesterday, the Georgia DOT began celebrations with a vintage car ride down I-75 from Windy Hill Road in Cobb County to The Varsity in Downtown Atlanta. To read more about this event, please click here for the article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

At this very moment, a transcontinental convoy from San Francisco is travelling to Washington in commemoration of Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1919 military convoy, an event that helped shape the idea in his mind of a federal superhighway system. Thanks to modern-day GPS technology, you can see where the convoy is currently located courtesy of AASHTO. Click here for updates.

National City Network features webcasts of the historic convoy. Click here to see for yourself (NOTE: DSL or better connections work best.)

The public radio program "Living On Earth" recently interviewed Interstate expert and author Dan McNichol as he traveled down I-90. Please click here for a transcript and audio.

Yes, folks, the "Big 5-0" is approaching quick and we, your friends at "The Georgia Road Geek", encourage you to take a moment of your time to reflect on how the Interstate Highway System has affected your life and your travels down both the literal highways and the proverbial "highway of life".

Finally, I'd like to give a special "thank you" to my dad, for letting me be his "navigator". When I was a child, he would hand me the maps and I would help him get to one of our many vacation destinations. This helped give me an appreciation of America's various and sundry roads and highways. I guess I was a "roadgeek" before I found out what one was. :)

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

New GDOT Large Print Roadmaps

Fellow Road Enthusiasts,

According to a press release dated June 22, 2006, the Georgia DOT (GDOT) now has a "large print" state map which is being released to the state's welcome centers via the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

However, according to GDOT, you can get a "limited first edition" of this new map by contacting them directly. Their Map Sales unit e-mail address is OTDCustomerSrv@dot.state.ga.us.

Just before composing this blog, I e-mailed GDOT and put in a request. Once I receive the map, I'll look it over and give you my thoughts in a follow-up blog.

T0 read the full GDOT press release, please click here.

In other "Georgia Road Geek" news...

US 19/GA 400 construction in North Fulton and South Forsyth counties is really picking up the pace, with the median graded out and graveled/asphalted (and even some new "Jersey Barriers") between GA 14o/Holcomb Bridge Road (Exit 7) and GA 120/Old Milton Parkway (Exit 10), plus new northbound shoulder work being done between Windward Parkway (Exit 11) and McFarland Road (Exit 12). On the southbound lanes of GA 400 between McFarland and Windward, shoulder work has been completed. It has also been striped for temporary use as the rightmost lane during the ongoing widening process.

At the Haynes Bridge Road (Exit 9) acceleration ramp to GA 400 northbound, I've noticed several brand new BGSes that may be going up soon. They are currently sitting in racks, so I can't make out what they say.

In the meantime, contact GDOT for your "limited first edition" print map.

Finally, here's a "shout out" to my brother-in-law Lib for plugging my blog via his blog "The Smith Family Website". Thanks, Lib, for your kind words and support. I love you, man!!! :)

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

Classic City Roadgeeking

For the past 3 days, Mary and I were in Athens (a.k.a. "The Classic City") at the North Georgia United Methodists annual conference, which was held at The Classic Center.

When we didn't have to be in business or worship sessions, we took a walk around Downtown Athens to see the sights... and yes, do some "Classic City roadgeeking" (as you can see from the photo below)...

One of the sights we saw during one of our short ventures was the famous Confederate double-barreled cannon. This cannon never worked as intended since no one could get the barrels to fire simultaneously, but it sits in front of the Athens City Hall and symbolically points northward. Here's a shot of me next to this famous piece of artillery...

After the conference ended this afternoon, we set out on the final "classic roadgeek mission"... clinch 2 more counties.

First, we traveled eastward on US 78 Business/US 78/GA 10 into Oglethorpe County. Once we crossed the line and turned around, we headed toward our second county... Madison. While crossing back into Athens/Clarke County, we noticed that the sign on US 78/GA 10 westbound simply said "Clarke County" instead of "Athens-Clarke County". Here's the photo...

To clinch Madison County, we headed to the Athens Perimeter/Paul Broun Parkway (GA 10 Loop/GA 422) and proceeded northward. At the northeastern corner of the Perimeter, US 29/GA 8 continues northward and we followed it into Madison County (but not before stopping at the Burger King at the corner of US 29/GA 8 and GA 72 for a quick lunch break).

After lunch, we proceeded northward... and clinched Madison County. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! :)

We then headed back to Atlanta following US 29/GA 8 along the inner Athens Perimeter to GA 316. Incidentally, the US and other GA routes that follow the eastern and southern sections of the Perimeter were not shown on assurance markers. Here's an example...

You could, however, see the US route markers on the overhead BGSes. For BGS pictures, please see J.T. Legg's Peach State Roads GA 10 Loop webpage. BTW, GA 422 is not marked anywhere along the stretch that we traveled, thus it is apparently "secret" just like the 400-series Interstates.

On the last leg of our journey home, I did manage to take some pictures of the construction at the I-85/GA 316 merge and I'll share those with y'all soon.

I do need to mention one more thing... on the day of our 3rd wedding anniversary (Wednesday), we celebrated by eating dinner at The Varsity-Athens. It was her first time eating at a Varsity and we just loooooved those greasy, greasy onion rings (along with our dogs). To celebrate and commemorate Mary's first real Varsity experience, here's the photo I took of her with her empty onion ring boats... That's all for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

Our Subligna Trip

Last weekend, we went up to Mary's parents' farm in the Subligna area and had a wonderful time visiting her folks.

Subligna, located in northeastern Chattooga County, is located miles from any highway and is one of the most isolated places we've ever been to in Georgia... but for what it lacks in amenities, it more than makes up for it in utter beauty, peace, and quiet. Every chance we get, we pack up the car and spend a weekend in that wonderful little getaway place of ours. :)

As promised, I took a load of road pictures. Here is one of them for your viewing pleasure...

















With most US highways in Georgia, you get to see the corresponding state route number with it. Sometimes on the assurance marker post, you may see the GA route given precedence over the US route number, such as the one above in Chattooga County. Incidentally, this reflects a newer Georgia design and a smaller US route shield which are becoming much more common on Georgia's highways.

US 27/GA 1 (GRIP corridor EDS-27), from GA 156 to Gore-Subligna Road, is part of a National Forest Scenic Byway (NFSBW) designated by the Georgia DOT as the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway. Interestingly enough, there are no signs telling you this, but instead, you see generic NFSBW signs along its route and you wouldn't know this name unless you either had looked at an official Georgia map from a couple of years back or visited the Georgia DOT website.

Before writing this blog, I took some of the photos I had taken along this route and compiled them into a photo album. Please click here to see them.

I also took photos of the ends of GA 140 and GA 156 at US 27/GA 1 as follows...

Please click here for a full map of the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway from GDOT (in PDF form).

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

Subligna, Here We Come!!!

Today, Mary and I are going to the great Chattooga County metropolis of Subligna.

My in-laws live on a farm there and we're gonna spend the rest of the weekend there with them. Mary is going to cook a nice meal for them... and boy is it gonna be nice. I'm sure her folks will enjoy it. :)

On June 14, 2003, we were married there on the farm by her father, a retired Methodist minister who grew up there. Here's one of many photos of our wedding day...


Speaking of weddings, congratulations to fellow road enthusiast Brian LeBlanc and his bride Laura on their recent wedding. May theirs be a happy and prosperous one!!! :)

My roadgeek objective for this trip is to get at least one picture of the end of GA 140 at US 27/GA 1 in Floyd County, plus any others that I can on the way there.

That's all for now. It's time to get ready to go to Subligna. Kudos again to our newest "roadgeek couple" Brian and Laura, thanks to y'all for reading, and may y'all have a great weekend.

Hittin' The Roads For Memorial Day?

Have you (or will you be) hittin' the roads for Memorial Day?

To celebrate this "summer kickoff", many an American family have been (or will be) hittin' the open road for an extended weekend getaway.

My wife Mary and I did spend some time with my family in Gwinnett and we will be attending (and helping out with) the Roswell, Georgia, Memorial Day celebration tomorrow at their city hall.

Speaking of roads and roadtrips, Mary found this very interesting article in USA Today called "Best Drives of the Big Roads". It is a celebration of "all things Interstate" as the Interstate Highway System is approaching it's 50th Anniversary with suggested roadtrips, songs for the road, and even a quiz to test your Interstate knowledge. Please click here to read it.

Finally, please don't forget what Memorial Day is all about... honoring the memory of those American military personnel who gave their lives so that we could live in a free nation. Please also keep those who currently serve in our military in your thoughts and prayers. My little brother Chris, a Navy submarine officer, is among those who selflessly serve and I am proud of him for doing so. We fortunately got to see him this weekend, BTW. :)

Thanks for reading and may you and yours have a happy and safe Memorial Day. Y'all come back now, y'hear.

Road Enthusiast Meetings

The first annual National Road Enthusiast Meet will be held August 10-12, 2006, in the Pittsburgh area. For more info and sign-up details, please click here.

Road enthusiast meets, also called "roadgeek meets", are nothing new. In fact, there have been sporadic meets since 1999, when Jeff Kitsko, the "National's" organizer, organized the first ever such meeting in his home state of Pennsylvania. For a brief history and photos from past meetings, please see Pete Jenior's "roadgeek meet" website.

Admittedly, I have never been to a "roadgeek meet", and regretfully, I will not be able to make the "National". However, it is possible that we here in Georgia could host a future "National" if there is enough interest. Before planning such an event down here, we will first see how this inaugural "National" goes.

Most of all, our hats are off to Jeff and we wish him well in this groundbreaking endeavor. :)

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and please visit often.

Misspelled Signs On GA 400 Finally Fixed

Remember the Misspelled Signs On GA 40o?

The Georgia DOT has finally corrected "Winward Pkwy" to be "Windward Pkwy".

Inquiring minds may want to know what took so long, but we, your friends at "The Georgia Road Geek", were the first in the world to publish the infamous misspelled new BGSes on the Internet. Once I get a picture or two, I'll put it on the blogsite.

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

Financial Firm Makes Proposal To GDOT

According to today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the financial firm Goldman, Sachs, and Company, is proposing the latest Public-Private Initiative for adding truck-only toll (TOT) lanes to I-285 between I-75 in Cobb County and I-20 in West Atlanta.

Goldman Sachs made a similar PPI proposal last year for a longer stretch of I-285, but Georgia DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl felt that it was inappropriate for financial firms, as opposed to engineering firms, to make such proposals to the state.

Please click here to read the full article.

Frankly, I still think it is inappropriate to put tolls on a road that was built as a free road. If GDOT wants to build truck-only lanes, then fine, do so. Even the trucking industry, a very powerful group in and of itself, is somewhat leary of the idea of these TOT lanes, though they do support the general idea of non-mandatory truck-only lanes.

As for why we have these traffic issues... address the growth and start putting more procedures and policies in place to control growth. By doing so would help us get a grip on the traffic and other overburdened infrastructure (water, sewer, etc.) problems that have come with the unbridled growth Metro Atlanta has seen over the past 20+ years.

On a lighter note, here's a really whacked-out picture of yours truly with a Georgia welcome sign "butchered" by C.C. "Comrade Mister Yamamoto" Slater:

That's all for now. Thanks to Slater for the photo, thank you for reading, and please come back again.

New Roadgeek Photo Albums

Dear Readers and Fellow Road Enthusiasts,

For your viewing pleasure, I have created the following Yahoo! Photo Albums:

- GA 400 Southbound Construction Pics 5/6/2006
- GA 400 Southbound Toll Pics 5/6/2006

As per my last blog, these are photos I had snapped last Saturday as I was heading down to Peachtree City for the day.

Again, a big thanks to fellow roadgeek "Comrade Mister Yamamoto" for being my "roadgeek influence" for this project. :)

My next photo album will be assorted Fayetteville and Peachtree City roadgeek photos. Once the album is ready, I'll let y'all know.

Hope y'all enjoy them, thanks for reading, and please come back again.

Ham Radio, Toastmasters, and Roadgeeking

Yesterday, on my 140-mile (220 km) round trip from Forsyth County to Peachtree City, I combined three of the things I like to do all in one... ham radio, Toastmasters, and roadgeeking!!! :)

Before I left the house, I packed the good digital camera and snapped a boatload of GA 400 construction photos between McFarland and Holcomb Bridge Roads. Here's one of them...

I also snapped several shots as I approached the GA 400 toll plaza. Again, here's one of them...

I have to note that my "roadgeek influence" for my group of toll plaza approach shots was C.C. Slater (a.k.a. Comrade Mister Yamamoto). For a sample of his unique brand of roadgeek work, please click here.

When I arrived in Fayetteville (20 miles/32 km south of Atlanta), I noticed something on GA 54 that I've never really seen here in Georgia... BGS that inform you of major intersections. I just had to stop and snap a picture of one of them on GA 54 west just outside Fayetteville...

My ham radio 2-meter handie-talkie helped keep me company on the ride down, and my biggest ham thrill was that I was able to have a QSO (conversation) with a Dahlonega ham via a repeater situated over 70 miles north of Atlanta. Normally, VHF frequencies don't have such a range like HF (shortwave) frequencies do, but atmospheric conditions were just right to allow my 5-watt signal to reach Dahlonega from as far away as the Atlanta Airport!!! :)

The primary mission of my trip to Peachtree City was Toastmasters... particularly our Georgia Spring Conference, where I was a voting delegate on behalf of our local Club in Cumming and as Immediate Past Georgia District Governor.

Having been the Georgia District Governor last year, and Lt. Governor for 2 years prior, I, along with my lovely wife Mary (a Past Georgia District Governor and Past International Director), dedicated much of our lives to our beloved Toastmasters. This year, we decided to cut back on our involvement at the statewide level and it gave us the opportunity to pursue things that we otherwise didn't have time for (her scrapbooking and beading and my roadgeeking and hamming).

Mary was unable to make the conference due to her work schedule, but I'm glad I was able to do so and see several of my "Toastmaster buddies". It was great to hang out with several of them and I was so touched by how much they've missed us over the last several months.

Finally, I just want to congratulate our dear Toastmaster friends Lee, Joy, and Cindy for being elected Georgia District Governor, Lt. Governor of Education and Training, and Lt. Governor of Marketing, respectively. We know that they will serve our fellow Georgia Toastmasters well.

Dinner's ready and I better get it before the cat does. Thanks for reading and please do so often.

Aerial Road Photos - West Metro Athens

Fellow road enthusiasts, here's a little "roadgeek treat"... some West Metro Athens aerial road photos taken from Terraserver-USA.

The above diamond interchange, where US Highways 29 and 78 and GA Highways 8, 10, and 316 meet, is located just outside Athens in Oconee County.

Before 1995, US 78/GA 10 (a.k.a. "Atlanta Highway") continued northward into Athens/Clarke County and dead-ended into what was US 29/GA 8 at the location in the next photo below:

Above: Old US 78/GA 10 (now US 78 Bus/GA 10) dead ends at Old US 29/ Old GA 8 just inside Athens/Clarke County.

When GA 316 was opened all the way to the Athens Perimeter (GA 10 Loop/422) in 1995, US Highways 29 and 78 plus GA 8 joined 316 on its final leg.

The next photo shows GA 316's eastern end at the Athens Perimeter.

Once you cross the bridge over the Athens Perimeter, the road becomes Epps Bridge Parkway, which will put you back on US 78 Bus/GA 10 eastbound just west of Downtown Athens.

US 29/78 and GA 8 join GA 10 Loop/422, proceeding eastward toward the University of Georgia.

In 1989, one of my favorite Athens-grown bands, The B-52s, immortalized the Atlanta Highway in their song "Love Shack".... love shack, baby love shack!!! :)

That concludes your "roadgeek treat" for tonight. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

Georgia Loves To Name Highways

Recently, during a YIM discussion with Alex of AARoads.com, we briefly discussed Georgia's penchant for naming highways (or stretches thereof) for famous people.

For example, there are stretches of highways named for polilticans, including, but not limited to, the following...

Tom Murphy Freeway - a stretch of I-20 from the Alabama state line to I-285 in West Atlanta named for former Georgia House Speaker Tom Murphy.

Cynthia McKinney Parkway - a stretch of GA 10 (Memorial Drive) in DeKalb County named for the controversial and outspoken Congresswoman who represents much of DeKalb County.

Zell Miller Mountain Parkway - GRIP corridor GA 515 from the northern end of I-575 at the Cherokee/Pickens County line to the North Carolina state line named for former Governor and former U.S. Senator Zell Miller.

But did you know that there are even stretches of roads named for country stars with Georgia roots? Yes, Virginia, they, too, can have highways (or stretches thereof) named for them.

For your reading pleasure, here they are...

Alan Jackson Highway - I-85 in Coweta County from Exit 51 to Exit 57 (Senate Resolution 781) . Jackson's hometown is Newnan, the Coweta County seat Senate Resolution 781.

Travis Tritt Highway - GA 92 from Hiram Sudie Road to Ridge Road in Paulding County. Tritt's hometown is Marietta (Cobb County), but since he makes his home in Paulding County (just west of Cobb), the State of Georgia decided to honor him there as per House Resolution 849.

Trisha Yearwood Parkway - SR 83 north from the Monticello Square to the city limits (House Resolution 453). Yearwood's hometown is Monticello, the Jasper County seat (incidentally, her latest CD is titled "Jasper County").

And finally...

Chet Atkins Parkway - I-185 in Troup and Harris Counties, named for the late guitar legend whose ties to Georgia are that he spent part of his childhood in Harris County. (House Resolution 245)

Dear readers and fellow road enthusiasts, that concludes tonight's meaningless trivia. Next time you contemplate life Here In The Real World, or you're wondering if She's In Love With The Boy", or perhaps you are on your way to the Country Club, just rememeber that if Georgia hasn't named a road for your favorite singer or musician yet, then please be patient and give our folks under the "Gold Dome" some more time. Based on their penchant for naming roads after folks, they'll GIT-R-DONE!!! (NOTE: "Larry the Cable Guy" is not from Georgia, though his "redneck" mulleted Blue Collar compatriot Jeff Foxworthy is. I'd be willing to bet the farm that Foxworthy will have a road named for him eventually.)

That's all for now. Thanks always for reading and please visit often.

Hammin' On The PC

Fellow road enthusiasts... especially those of you who are hams...

Over this past weekend, I have installed and configured a "freeware" application called EchoLink, which allows ham radio operators to communicate with others worldwide via their PCs.

So how does this differ from standard Internet "instant messenger" systems? Here's how...

Using Voice Over IP (VoIP), EchoLink links your PC via the EchoLink server to actual radio transceiver sites and allows hams to communicate to hams who are operating either via EchoLink or via ham radio transceivers. Here is an illustration taken from the EchoLink website...

Before one can use EchoLink, however, you are required by the EchoLink to submit your licensing information to prove that you are the actual ham radio licensee. It took me about a week to do so via "snail mail".

So far, via EchoLink, I have communicated with hams in the U.S. and Canada, plus Australia, Iraq, Israel, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Again, this is open only to licensed hams since it is an Internet link to ham radio transceivers.

To learn more about EchoLink, visit www.echolink.org, and if you do get it installed and running, then please let me (KC4AZO) know. I'd enjoy some QSOs (conversations) with "roadgeek hams". :)

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

Georgia DOT Project Info Available

For your reading pleasure, allow me to introduce to you the Georgia DOT's Public Outreach website.

On this website, you can access project information either by county or project name. They even include PDF documents that show maps and/or road construction details.

For example, here are some of the dozens of projects available just to get you started...

- SR 20 Widening In Forsyth and Gwinnett Counties
- New Bridges on the Islands Expressway (Chatham County Road 787 - Old Toll US 80)
- US 411 Connector in Bartow County

... and finally... GA 400 Widening/Reconstruction in North Fulton and South Forsyth Counties!!!

However, GDOT does not have anything on this website regarding the I-85/GA 316 interchange improvements... bummers. :(

Oh yeah... here's a "Georgia Road Geek Shout-Out" to a fellow ham and Forsyth Countian... Mr. "I Hate GA 400" himself... Tom (callsign withheld). Thanks for the QSOs on the Sawnee repeater and for your comments on our beloved road. Tom, you truly inspired me. :)

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

My Virtual Bainbridge Trip

Tonight, via Yahoo! Instant Messenger, fellow road enthusiast and AARoads co-webmaster Alex Nitzman took yours-truly on a "virtual trip" along the Bainbridge By-Pass (US 27/84 GA 1/38).
Now that I've seen them, I want to talk the wife into a real roadtrip down US 27 to Tallahassee so that I can add several more Georgia counties (plus at least one in Florida).

Last February, Alex had taken a detour through Bainbridge and Thomasville, and of course he snapped a boatload of photos in the process. As always, the photos are of the excellent quality that we, fans of the AARoads site, have come to expect. If you've never visited AARoads, then you've never visited a "road site". The URL is www.aaroads.com.

At some point in the future, Alex plans to put these photos on the Georgia Gateway page of AARoads, so I don't want to "steal his thunder" by placing any on this blogsite.

Speaking of the Georgia Gateway, do expect some new photos of I-675 to be coming soon. For future expansion, he is also planning to add some Albany By-Pass (US 19/82/GA 3/300/520) coverage.

BTW, here's a picture of my mobile ham radio gear that I setup when I'm in my truck...

It's a Vertex VX-150 2m handie-talkie, running 5 watts power max through a glass mounted MFJ 1738 whip antenna. The standard antenna is a "rubber duckie" for normal handheld usage. The glass-mounted antenna, though, enables me to run it much better as a makeshift mobile rig.

A special thanks to Alex for the "virtual Bainbridge trip" and to y'all for reading "The Georgia Road Geek". Again, have a Happy Easter.

I Hate GA 400!

"I HATE GA 400!"

Well, at least that one ham had to say during our QSO (on-air conversation) this afternoon on the Sawnee Mountain repeater as I was making my way home up GA 400.

For your viewing pleasure, here is an illustration as to why one would develop a disdain for this particular highway...

ABOVE: Traffic jam on GA 400 North at Northridge Road (Exit 6)

Someone once said, "If life hands you lemons, then make some lemonade." In that spirit, I took advantage of the jam to take the following roadsign photos...

The first is one of GA 400's newest erroneous BGSes...

What's wrong with this sign? Two things...

- The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area should be on a brown sign (MUTCD standard for parks and recreation areas).

- The Roswell Visitors Center should be on a blue sign (MUTCD standard for tourist information and motorist services).

MUTCD (pronounced "mut-sid") stands for Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the Federal Highway Administration's standard for all highway signs and signals.

Remember the erroneous "Roswell 9/Dahlonega 26" distance sign from several blogs ago? It was taken down and finally, the Georgia DOT erected the correct mileage sign as follows...

Here's a candid shot of a MARTA bus actually using the hard shoulder since traffic speeds were below 35 MPH...

And finally, some updated construction photos...

Top: Between Holcomb Bridge and Mansell Roads.
Bottom: At McFarland Road

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, please come back again, and have a Happy Easter!!!

The Interstates, GA 400, And Ham Radio

This morning, I received an e-mail from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) with the following news...

On April 5, 2006, the United States Senate approved a resolution introduced by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and the members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Interstate System.

The resolution is Senate Resolution 427. Please click here to read it from the Congressional Record.

In other Georgia Road Geek news...

The GA 400 widening project is coming along nicely, especially in the section between Holcomb Bridge Road (Exits 7/7A-B) and Haynes Bridge Road (Exit 9). The crews are already laying an initial gravel and asphalt base.

Further up GA 400 in Forsyth County, the crews there have graded out the shoulder on the southbound lanes and have added some rebar and concrete, similar to the work done on the shoulders between the North Springs MARTA Station (Exit 5C) and Windward Parkway (Exit 11).

Speaking of Windward Parkway, apparently, the Georgia DOT is in no hurry to fix the misspelled "Winward" BGSes.

On a personal note, I've gotten a new 2-meter (144-148 MHz) ham radio handie-talkie and have set up a good makeshift mobile system with a glass-mount antenna and a plug-in speaker microphone. If you are a ham and want to QSO (talk) with me, I usually monitor the Sawnee Mountain repeater (147.15 MHz +) during the afternoon while driving home. I've already talked to some of the local hams who hang out on it and even met many of them this past Tuesday at a Forsyth County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) meeting. I've even hooked back up with an old friend, Kevin, a railroad worker, "railfan", and fellow ham I've known since childhood. Kevin, if you're reading this blog, I just want you to know that it's great to hear from you again, pal. :)

Again, if you want to know more about the Amateur (Ham) Radio Service and how you can become a ham yourself, then check out the American Radio Relay League's website at www.arrl.org. If you're in the Metro Atlanta area, visit Ham Radio Outlet's store on Buford Highway. They carry a great selection of not only ham radio equipment, but also study guides for you to use to earn your "ticket" (FCC ham radio license). Mark (KJ4VO) is the manager and he and his crew will do you right. Just tell 'em Steve (KC4AZO) sent ya! :)

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and "73 DE KC4AZO"!!!

Any Roadgeek Hams Out There?

Recently, I've been wondering if there are any road enthusiasts who are also licensed amateur (ham) radio operators.

My callsign in KC4AZO and I am an Advanced Class licensee (second-highest class available).

Even though I haven't been an active "ham", I've been contemplating dusting off the old 2m "handie-talkie" and getting back into the hobby at least in a limited capacity.

Anyhow, if you are a "ham", please let me know by e-mailing georgiaroadgeek at bellsouth dot net. I'm just curious as to how many "hams" read my blogs. :)

If you are interested in ham radio or otherwise just want to learn more about it, then please visit the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) website.

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

I-575 and 2 More Counties Clinched!!!

This afternoon, my wife and I decided to get out of the house for a while and do some "roadgeeking" in the nearby North Georgia mountains.

As a result, I finally "clinched" I-575 and added both Pickens and Gilmer Counties to my county collection... WOO-HOO!!! :)

Here are some of the many photos I took during our 2-hour jaunt....

The first photo below is the last distance sign on I-575/GA 5 northbound, just 3 miles (5 km) before it turns into GA 5/515 (Zell Miller Mountain Parkway/Appalachian Developmental Highway "Corridor A")...

Interestingly enough, who other than roadgeeks or highway folks would know what "APD" stands for? IMHO, I would've substituted "GA Hwy 515" for "APD Hwy", since most folks know this particular road as "515".

The next photo is the exit for a scenic view located on GA 5/515 northbound just north of Jasper...

The next picture below is a view of GA 5/515 and the Appalachians looking south toward Jasper...

... and finally, here's a picture of me at the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway monument located at this particular scenic view.

Zell Miller, a native of Towns County, was a long time politician who served as Georgia's Lt. Governor, Governor, and finally as a U.S. Senator. During his time in Georgia politics, Miller was instrumental in getting the Appalachian Developmental Highway (GA 515) built, hence the road's name.

During the mid-1990's, then-Governor Miller briefly favored changing the Georgia state flag (removing the Confederate battle flag from it). In protest, some "pro-flag" person spray-painted the face on the monument black. If you look closely below the nose, you will see some of that black paint left. Miller, known by some as "Zig-Zag Zell", would later change his position in favor of keeping the flag "as-is".

On our way back home, we took 515 to GA 5 Bus/372 and cut through the Ball Ground and Free Home communties in Cherokee County.

A very special "thank you" to my loving wife Mary for her support of my "roadgeeking", and hopefully, we'll have a "roadgeek scrapbook" done one of these days. :)

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

Buckhead Road and Pedestrian Improvements Coming

While surfing the Georgia DOT website last night, I came across one of their newest projects, the Peachtree Boulevard (Buckhead) Construcion Project.

The project, a part of the Governor's Fast Forward Program, involves the stretch of Peachtree Road (Georgia 141) in the City of Atlanta's upscale Buckhead community from Shadowlawn to Roxboro/Peachtree Dunwoody Roads. For a map of the general vicinity affected, please see the Map of Peachtree Blvd Project Vicinity (Yahoo! Maps)

In short, the project will not only involve road-improvements per-se, but also much-needed improvements to accomodate pedestrians, in addition to aesthetic landscape improvements such as trees and plants in the median.

To learn more about the Peachtree Boulevard Project, please click here.

In other Georgia road news...

The State Transportation Board and the State Road and Tollway Authority have adopted a joint resolution to study the feasibility of constructing Truck Only Toll lanes from the Port of Savannah to I-16 and I-95. The Federal Highway Administration has already given them a $472,000 grant for this particular study.

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

Update - Overhead Sign on I-285 WB @ GA 400

Dear readers, thanks to Scott Kuznicki, we have an update regarding the overhead sign on I-285 westbound at GA 400, and apparently, the sign is stable... it's tilted slightly for better reflectivity. Please click here to read Scott's post on misc.transport.road.

Speaking of signs, it looks like the same contractor who posted the "Winward" signs posted yet another erroneous sign on GA 400 northbound at the 1/2-mile point to Windward Parkway. If I get a picture, then I'll post it for y'all ASAP.

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

Here's Your Sign

Comedian Bill Engvall says that stupid people should have to wear signs saying “I’M STUPID!” so that everyone else can be forewarned.

Based on his “Here’s Your Sign” schtick, here are a few I’ve created just for fellow road enthusiasts…

NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL

It’s the middle of June and a new traffic signal was installed and activated at the intersection of Main and Maple Streets.

You and your friend are driving down the road and he asks you, “Is that the new traffic signal?”, to which you reply, “Nope. Those are the city’s newest Christmas lights. Here’s your sign.”

ROAD WIDENING

A construction crew is doing work to widen the local crosstown expressway.

You and your friend are driving down the road and he asks you, “Are they widening the expressway?”, to which you reply, “Nope. They’re just a bunch of vandals doing damage to a perfectly good road. Here’s your sign.”

NEW HIGHWAY BEING BUILT

The transportation department is building a new 4-lane by-pass highway on the outskirts of town.

You and your friend walk over to observe what’s happening and he asks you, “Is that gonna be the new 4-lane?”, to which you reply, “Nope. The parks department is building the world’s longest football field. Here’s your sign.”

... and just one more for good measure...

TRAFFIC CAMERAS

New pole-mounted overhead cameras were mounted to help monitor traffic along the downtown expressway system.

You and your friend are driving down the road and he asks you, “Are those cameras up there?”, to which you reply, “Nope. They’re the new network of high-powered laser cannons the cops use to blast the bad guys as they travel down the road. Here's your sign.”

Hope y'all enjoyed them. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

Ugly Signs In Fayette + I-285 WB Sign Follow-Up

Metro Atlanta's Peachtree City, a "planned city" located south of Atlanta in Fayette County, had complained to the Georgia DOT (GDOT) about some ugly yellow signs they put up. But there's some good news... I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance. :)

All kidding aside, please click here to read the original article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

But the Georgia DOT realized that the contractor who installed the signs in question installed the wrong color, so they'll get fixed. Please click here for the article from WSB-TV's website.

As for the hanging overhead sign on I-285 westbound at GA 400, I am happy to announce that GDOT has been in touch with both Scott Kuznicki and me and it seems they are taking appropriate action. If we have any further developments, then we'll let y'all know.

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

Hanging Overhead Sign - I-285 WB @ GA 400

Dear readers, there are signs with misspelled words... but then there are signs that are in precarious positions to cause potential harm to the public such as this one above I-285 westbound (outer) at GA 400. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE!!!

This was caught on camera by fellow road enthusiast Scott Kuznicki on March 5, 2006.

In the interest of public safety, we have forwarded this picture to the Georgia DOT district engineer for Metro Atlanta, and hopefully, it will either have already been remedied or GDOT will do so ASAP.

We will keep you posted.

Thanks for visiting and please do so often.

Just Watched Our Smokey and the Bandit DVD

"Eastbound and down, loaded up 'n truckin. We gonna do what they say can't be done..."
"We got a long way to go and a short time to get there, I'm eastbound just watch ol' Bandit run." - Smokey and The Bandit theme song "Eastbound 'n Down" by Jerry Reed.

We just finished watching our "Smokey and the Bandit" (SATB) DVD and boy was it cool to see how some of our Georgia roads looked in the 1970's. :)

First of all, I need to make a correction regarding the movie's overall plot... the time to go from Atlanta to Texarkana and back with the truckload of Coors Beer was 28 hours... not 18.

Second, the freeway scenes on GA 400 were IMHO the most fascinating in terms of "roadgeek history"... especially where the Bandit was being chased by the Georgia State Patrol around and around the interchange (Exit 13 - GA 141). Ever since I was a teenager, I've loved trying to identify the places and roads in any movie that was shot on location in Georgia. :)

Finally, here's one of my favorite lines from Sheriff Buford T. Justice (the late Jackie Gleason).... "...I'M GONNA BARBECUE YOUR A** IN MOLASSES!!!"

If you have a favorite SATB scene or line, then please feel free to share it with us.

That's all for now, y'all. Thanks for visiting and we'll "catch you on the flip-flop".

Misspelled Signs on GA 400

Fellow road enthusiasts, hot off the digital camera are some new signs that the Georgia DOT had just installed on US 19/GA 400 during the latter part of this week.

Some of those new signs were for Exit 11 (Windward Parkway/Alpharetta)... but the contractor apparently did not run "spellcheck" before installing them. Here they are for your viewing pleasure...

... and here is a previously installed sign at the exit itself with the proper spelling...

All the above signs are on the southbound side. There is one more "sign goof" for Windward on the northbound side just past Exit 10 (GA 120/Old Milton Parkway/Alpharetta).

Remember, boys and girls, whenever you put up new signs, always be sure to run "spellcheck". :)

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

2006 Official GA Maps Available

Fellow road enthusiasts, the 2006 official Georgia highway map is now available!!!

After work, I stopped by the Georgia DOT's map sales office in Chamblee and picked up a couple... and I couldn't wait to get home and look over it. :)

Here are some of the new things you'll find on the new map...

- US 129 is on a new 4-lane divided highway section between Talmo and Arcade, bypassing Jefferson. (This is apparently a non-GRIP widening project to provide 4-lanes between Athens and Gainesville.)

- All of US 441/GA 15 (GRIP Project EDS-441) 4-laned between I-85 and US 23/GA 365.

- Most of the Fall Line Freeway (Future GA 540) 4-laned between Columbus and Fort Valley (US 80/GA 22 from Columbus to Geneva, GA 96 from Geneva to Fort Valley).

And now, here are some of the things you will not find...

- Unlike past maps, no proposed or under-construction segments (700/800/900-series) are reflected. For instance, you will not see the proposed US 319/441 Dublin By-Pass (part of EDS-441). Unless you were a local or a roadgeek like me, you wouldn't know by looking at this year's map.

- US 27/GA 1 (GRIP Project EDS-27) is actually 4-lanes divided for a short stretch from just north of its intersection with GA 156 in Floyd County to just south of Gore-Subligna road in Chattooga County. This particular section of highway has been this way for at least 5 years, but I'm a little disappointed that GDOT has yet to reflect this on their maps.

Also, since the previous map, GDOT no longer differentiates multilane undivided highways (especially those with middle turn lanes), so it makes it even more difficult to determine which sections of GRIP corridors have been rebuilt as such.

Copies are available at Georgia welcome centers or you can contact GDOT's Map Sales office directly (click here for info).

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

I Saw Alligators On GA 400

Yes, it's true, folks.... I saw me some alligators on GA 400... right there in the northbound lanes at Abernathy Road.

Now these weren't your garden variety alligators... no sir/no ma'am... they were big and mean and made of vulcanized rubber and steel. :)

I remember when I saw these "alligators" on I-75 in Florida and I said to my wife while I was driving, "Look... Alligators!!!". She said, "Huh?", and I said, "Yep.... thems be alligators."

Just before my wife, a Florida native, thought I'd totally flipped, I explained to her that these "alligators" were the huge shreds of tire tread littering the highway from blown-out tires.

Speaking of GA 400, the construction crews have the entire median torn up between Holcomb Bridge and Mansell Roads, plus the shoulders from Windward Parkway to McFarland Road.
(See the GA 400 construction videos from last week.)

In other Georgia road news....

Field Day For "Big Roads"

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had an interesting article about the field day that "big roads" (contractors) are having here in Georgia with the GA 400 and I-85/GA 316 construction, not to mention the first approved public-private initiative for I-75/I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee Counties. Please click here to read the article.

Eisenhower Parkway Extension

In Macon (Bibb County), part of the overall Fall Line Freeway (Future GA 540) plan is an extension of Eisenhower Parkway (US 80) . Click here for a Georgia DOT handout from their last public hearing held February 7th. For overall info, please visit the Eisenhower Parkway Extension website.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and please visit often.

Aussies Blog About Roads Too!

G'day, y'all!!!

This morning, while surfing the British SABRE site, I found a link to an Australian road blog called SEQRoads (SEQ stands for Southeast Queensland, the state located in Australia's northeastern corner.) Please click here to see for yourself.

Now this is not the first time I've ever seen road photos from "down under", but I am truly fascinated how the Australians have taken a combination of European and North American road sign and design styles and amalgamated them into something that is uniquely their own. To see a prime example of Brisbane's roads, here's a link to a photo site maintained by SEQRoads blogmaster Trent.

As for the Aussies themselves, the vast majority my wife and I have ever met (primarily through Toastmasters) are some of the nicest, warmest folks you will ever encounter anywhere in the world. At some point in our lives, we would love to visit Australia... and when we do, you bet we're gonna "roadgeek" it up. Furthermore, it is my personal dream to drive on Australia's roads just to get the feeling of left-hand side driving. :)

Kudos to their blogmaster on an excellent blog and wonderful road pics from "down under".

Thanks to y'all for reading ours. Take care and have a great weekend.

P.S. If you are from Australia and would like a free official "Georgia Road Geek" magnet, then please e-mail your postal address to georgiaroadgeek at bellsouth dot net.

Video Gallery Now Available

Dear Readers,

Thanks to the good folks at Putfile, we here at "The Georgia Road Geek" offer to you a media gallery of assorted homemade "roadgeek videos" for your viewing pleasure.

We run the gamut of the fairly serious to the really wacky.

Our first set includes the Talmadge Bridge videos, plus some GA 400 construction videos taken on March 7, 2006. Please click here to access them.

If you like it (or even if you don't like it), then please let us know by e-mailing georgiaroadgeek at bellsouth dot net. NOTE: If you don't like it, then please be gentle with us. :)

Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

I-75: A Superhighway On Steroids

A superhighway on steriods.... SAY WHAAAAAT?!!!!

If the Georgia DOT and the Georgia Transportation Partners consortium have their way, I-75 in Cobb County, at a whopping 23 lanes wide, will truly be a superhighway on steroids!!!

Furthermore, under the Northwest Corridor public-private initiative proposal, I-75 and I-575 would be "guinea pigs" for a little-tested concept of truck-only toll lanes, which, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, the Georgia Motor Trucking Association is apparently wary of.

To read more about it, please click here for the article from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Is this going to help us here in Metro Atlanta solve our traffic problems? I don't know... but I do know that our elected officials need to help us get a handle on the out-of-control growth that has exacerbated the entire traffic situation.

Am I "anti-roads"? No. Am I "pro-controlled development"? You betcha.

What can we do to get a handle on this out-of-control development? I don't have all the answers, but I do know that we need to let our elected officials know that they need to stop letting developers run amok and put some kind of reasonable controls on such things as new subdivisions and shopping malls. By doing so, it can help to guarantee the quality of life for both us and future generations, plus help Metro Atlanta remain a place where businesses want to set up shop. Again, I don't have all the answers, but we and our elected officials need to start somewhere.

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

A Salute To Britain's Roadgeeks

Tonight, thanks to fellow road enthusiast Graham in London, I've discovered that there's a whole mess of roadgeeks in the United Kingdom.

We here at "The Georgia Road Geek" salute them from "across the pond" and present to you, dear reader, a link to SABRE (the Society for All British Road Enthusiasts). It's a great road site with some really cool UK road pics.

Please click here to see for yourself.

British roadgeeks, if you're visiting this blogsite, then please send us an e-mail (georgiaroadgeek at bellsouth dot net) and let us know you've visited. If you provide us with your postal address, we'll even send you an official "Georgia Road Geek" magnet as a token of our friendship and appreciation.

Whether you are from London, England, or London, Kentucky... Rome, Italy, or Rome, Georgia... we appreciate your visit and hope you will do so often.

Kudos to all our British SABRE roadgeek cousins for their excellence in "roadgeeking".

Until next time, cheerio from Georgia, y'all!!! :)

Talmadge Bridge Videos - 10/29/2005

Hot off the DVD from CVS, here are the videos of our roadgeek travels across the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah (video taken October 29, 2005, with a cheapo CVS handheld camcorder)...

- Going toward South Carolina
- Heading back to Georgia

A special thanks to my wife Mary for her assistance in filming while I was driving. :)

I hope to get some videos of the GA 400 construction. Once I do so, I'll share them with y'all ASAP.

Hope y'all enjoy, thanks for visiting, and please do so often.

DVDs, CBs, Movies, and GA 400

This afternoon, my Smokey and the Bandit DVDs arrived from Amazon.com. To celebrate this new arrival at "The Georgia Road Geek" world headquarters, here's a website with some "CB speak" for y'all.

For my wife, I got Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" (50th Anniversary Edition), and I think I scored some points with "The Mrs." on that one. :)

Also, I've used up the last 3 minutes of my CVS digital recorder, so tonight, I'll take it by my local CVS to get it developed.

The DVD has our trips back and forth across Savannah's Talmadge Memorial Bridge, plus some assorted home movies of our "four-legged children" (cats).

Today on GA 400, the construction crews have finally started grading out part of the median in the Holcomb Bridge Road vicinity after adding drainage pipes. Also, it looks like some new BGSes are going up in the vicinity of GA 120/Old Milton Parkway (Exit 10).

Hope y'all had a great weekend and thanks for stopping by again.

Until next time, keep 'er between the ditches, keep "Smokey" out of your britches, and we'll catch you on the "flip-flop".

GA City Makes Wacky Street Name List

This weekend, my wife found an article in USA Today about a recent online poll of America's "wildest, wackiest, and weirdest street names" and suggested that I blog about it.

Sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors, The Car Connection website conducted this poll.

Albany, GA, made the top 10 list with its intersection of Lonesome and Hardup Roads.

For the full article from USA Today, please click here.

A special thanks to my lovely wife for sharing this wonderful article with me and I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

You Can Drive 55

Over 20 years ago, singer Sammy Hagar released a highly controverisal (but really "kick-butt") song called "I Can't Drive 55". The video to this song was a pretty big hit on MTV (back when they were truly Music Television).

Well... according to four (4) Georgia college students, you can... and in an act of self-proclaimed "civil obedience", they got in their respective vehicles and together, they actually did literally drive 55 MPH on I-285.

But wait, folks, there's more... they even filmed themselves doing so and won a film award for their efforts. Please click here for their movie "A Meditation On The Speed Limit".

Naturally, they made several folks really angry and frustrated while doing so, but hey, like the late Andy Warhol said, they got their proverbial "15 minutes of fame".

Please click here to read the article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Yes, Virginia. You can drive 55 on I-285. :)

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!!!

GA 400 Was A Movie Star

Last night as I pulled into the driveway, I was listening to one of Atlanta’s country stations.

They were playing the Jerry Reed song “East Bound And Down”, the theme to the 1977 Burt Reynolds movie “Smokey And The Bandit” (SATB), and it brought back memories of my childhood in Snellville.

The first time I saw the movie was at the old Snellville Cinema. I enjoyed the movie so much, I went back there to see it at least 1 or 2 more times. In fact, I give SATB credit for shaping my very early roadgeek existence. :)

For those of you who may not have seen the movie, here’s the premise…

An eccentric father/son pair of Texas millionaires named “Big Enos” and “Little Enos” make an outrageous big-money deal with an egotistical thrillseeker, “The Bandit” (Burt Reynolds), to pick up a tractor-trailer load of Coors Beer in Texarkana, Texas, and bring it back to Atlanta in an 18-hour round trip. (At the time, Coors Beer was not allowed in Georgia, thus it was roughly an equivalent to running moonshine.)

“The Bandit” talks his reluctant trucker friend Cletus “Snowman” Snow (Jerry Reed) into accompanying him in this insane quest. “Snowman” drives the tractor-trailer full of beer while “Bandit” runs interference miles ahead of him with his Pontiac Trans Am. Their primary means of communcation were their CB radios.

On the way back, “Bandit” unwittingly picks up a runaway bride, Carrie (Sally Field), who was to be married to the dimwitted son of Texarkana Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason).

When the Sheriff learns that Carrie is with “The Bandit”, he and his dimwitted son “Junior” go on a cross-country pursuit of “The Bandit”.

The result was one of the craziest, wackiest cross-country car chases in movie history, plus a real-life surge in the sales of CB radios and Pontiac Trans-Ams.

I remember the fun we had traveling down to Florida with the new 23-channel Cobra CB rig my dad bought and installed in the family car (which was not a Trans-Am, but a 1972 Grand Prix which I would later have as my car during my college years). As a kid, it was pretty cool "spotting Smokies" (police) and "ratchet-jawing" (speaking) with other CBers. Eventually, as CBs became passe along with other 1970s fads like disco (I HATE DISCO!!!), I grew out of it.

The movie was filmed in various locations around metro Atlanta, including freeway scenes that were shot on the stretch of GA 400 between Alpharetta and Cumming. At the time SATB was filmed(1976-1977), GA 400 made a great filming location since it was sparsely used… quite a contrast to the huge traffic volumes it has due to the phenomenal growth of North Fulton and Forsyth Counties in the 1990s.

One particular scene was where a Georgia State Patrol car was chasing “The Bandit’s” Trans-Am around and around an interchange. The interchange was GA 141 (Exit 13).

This afternoon, I just ordered SATB from Amazon.com. This also includes the totally lame sequels SATB II and SATB III, but it was the only way I could get the first SATB :(

That's all for now. Thanks for your visit, keep 'er between the ditches, and we'll catch you on the "flip-flop", good buddy!!! :)