Is Interstate 14 Dead? (Atlanta, Columbus, Jasper: college, tax, bill)

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Are you reffering to the GA rail loop??? I haven't seen Columbus mention once in any of the articles... It might have to do with Columbus being a lower priority route...

FRA Accepts Applications for State High-Speed Rail Planning « The Transport Politic
Atlanta-Savannah high speed rail loop? *| ajc.com
State seeking federal funds for high-speed rail loop | Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia High Speed Rail (http://www.wctv.tv/gms/headlines/94548854.html - broken link)

You are only looking at the federal high speed rail routes... and Georgia's petition to get some added (which is odd given the state wouldn't help fund the original ones)

The --State-- rail plan is not HSR, although it keeps future HSR in mind. It has more do to do with establishing commuter service and regional service using existing tracks (79 mph speed limit).

HSR would require new track whereever it goes and it includes heavy grading (flattening/curve reduction costs). When HSR comes in... these routes would connect other cities to the HSR network (or Hartsfield) by taking a train to Macon or Atlanta.

Here is a simplified map from the GDOT (http://www.dot.state.ga.us/traveling...gerRailMap.pdf) *Note the HB1348 routes were established by a house bill that passed in the house, but never became law. The intercity routes are routes planned by the GDOT, but have been unfunded since the mid-90s.

The full state rail plan has alot of good info on freight and passenger rail as well as more detailed maps.
(State Rail Plan)

[Saintmarks]

I have proposed this on another thread but can't find it.

With opposition in the Blue Ridge for I-3 going thru the mountains, I believe it should go from Savannah to Augusta, then cut more northwest, to Athens, then above Gainesville and then to Rome and connect on toward Huntsville, AL. This would be an "outer" outer perimeter for the northern Atlanta burbs and a nice bypass around Atlanta, but further out.

I like the proposal of I 16 from Macon to Columbus and Auburn better than I 14. Let it then overlay 85 and then connect Montgomery to Meridian.

With these two routes, would have two great routes that would help relieve Atlanta of thru traffic congestion. Extend 185 north of Columbus to Rome and Chattanooga and you have a complete way around Atlanta from every angle.

[gaduchman]

Have they ever finished the 441 widening project? Seems that one was started in the 90's

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I have proposed this on another thread but can't find it.

With opposition in the Blue Ridge for I-3 going thru the mountains, I believe it should go from Savannah to Augusta, then cut more northwest, to Athens, then above Gainesville and then to Rome and connect on toward Huntsville, AL. This would be an "outer" outer perimeter for the northern Atlanta burbs and a nice bypass around Atlanta, but further out.

I like the proposal of I 16 from Macon to Columbus and Auburn better than I 14. Let it then overlay 85 and then connect Montgomery to Meridian.

With these two routes, would have two great routes that would help relieve Atlanta of thru traffic congestion. Extend 185 north of Columbus to Rome and Chattanooga and you have a complete way around Atlanta from every angle.

I have thought this exact same idea, especially if it connects aging manufacturing centers of Gainesville and Dalton to the ports. It would be perfect for Athens, which has a sizable low income population badly in need of jobs. It would be a perfect local warehouse/distribution hub for the North Atlanta area via the 316 corridor.

The big problem to overcome... is two fold... 1) that would basically be a dream route by state planning, but not for neighboring states. It would be much harder to attract federal "interstate" money for it. If the interstate was ever made to Knoxville state planners should definitely considering strengthening state funded roads towards Athens and Gainesville from the new interstate. 2) It isn't completely ideal for port shipping traffic. It does provide a route around Atlanta, but it doesn't cut down on truck mileage. The less truck mileage there is... the less expensive it is to move goods to and from the port and the region. So the route would offer partial, but not full benefits for many.

If the big improvement for trucking is just an Atlanta bypass, it might be shorter to build a truck only bypass from I-75 south of Atlanta to I-75 North of Atlanta (the heaviest route for trucks in Atlanta by far). Most likely from Griffin to around Cartersville. This would likely be done within the right of way of I-75 and I-285 itself, but might be able to spur out in locations to provide better access to develop-able places in South Fulton and to already developed manufacturing hubs like Fulton Industrial Boulevard. The part of this north of I-285 to Cartersville has already been in the works with planners. At issue is/was the plan called for mandatory use of truck only lanes, which would be tolled to pay for the project. This obviously raises legal/ethical questions. Either way, this would ultimately be a far cheaper way for trucking to by-pass Atlanta if we can't agree on a new route that would make some truck routes considerably more convenient/shorter.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I have proposed this on another thread but can't find it.

With opposition in the Blue Ridge for I-3 going thru the mountains, I believe it should go from Savannah to Augusta, then cut more northwest, to Athens, then above Gainesville and then to Rome and connect on toward Huntsville, AL. This would be an "outer" outer perimeter for the northern Atlanta burbs and a nice bypass around Atlanta, but further out.

See, I figured it should probably go more northward, from Augusta up to Greenville. And don't forget that this doesn't address the issue of having I-26, a roughly parallel route, in such proximity.

I like the proposal of I 16 from Macon to Columbus and Auburn better than I 14. Let it then overlay 85 and then connect Montgomery to Meridian.

With these two routes, would have two great routes that would help relieve Atlanta of thru traffic congestion. Extend 185 north of Columbus to Rome and Chattanooga and you have a complete way around Atlanta from every angle.

As with "I-3," I'd like to know how many people would actually use this route before I throw my support behind it.

[Metro Stats]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

As with "I-3," I'd like to know how many people would actually use this route before I throw my support behind it.

It would quickly become the 3rd most heavily traveled interstates in the state after only 75 and 95 similar in traffic to 85.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

See, I figured it should probably go more northward, from Augusta up to Greenville. And don't forget that this doesn't address the issue of having I-26, a roughly parallel route, in such proximity.

I agree with you about proximity to 26 but have you actually traveled on that interstate its practically bumper to bumper everyday the entire 60 miles between Columbia and I-95 and adding another lane will not help the problem. I do not think it needs to go up to Greenville instead it should be directed more over to Athens and Gainesville areas connecting with I-75 in North Ga

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Metro Stats

It would quickly become the 3rd most heavily traveled interstates in the state after only 75 and 95 similar in traffic to 85.

But Georgia only has, what, five 2-digit interstates. So by that figure, I-3 would be no more than average. Once you get well away from metro Atlanta, I don't think I-85 has all that much traffic, relatively speaking.

I agree with you about proximity to 26 but have you actually traveled on that interstate its practically bumper to bumper everyday the entire 60 miles between Columbia and I-95 and adding another lane will not help the problem. I do not think it needs to go up to Greenville instead it should be directed more over to Athens and Gainesville areas connecting with I-75 in North Ga

Is that due to construction or sheer congestion? It seems to me that I-26 is somewhat of a bottleneck between I-95 and Columbia, as I-77 likely diverts a lot of the north-south traffic towards Charlotte. Widening a freeway is a lot less expensive per mile than building a brand-new one. And it can work, too, in a rural setting. Just look at I-75, which is three lanes all the way to Chattanooga.

I'm cautiously open to a Savannah-Augusta freeway, but I have serious reservations with it going any further north unless it crosses into South Carolina.

[Metro Stats]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

But Georgia only has, what, five 2-digit interstates. So by that figure, I-3 would be no more than average. Once you get well away from metro Atlanta, I don't think I-85 has all that much traffic, relatively speaking.

south of Atl yes north of it no

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Is that due to construction or sheer congestion? It seems to me that I-26 is somewhat of a bottleneck between I-95 and Columbia, as I-77 likely diverts a lot of the north-south traffic towards Charlotte. Widening a freeway is a lot less expensive per mile than building a brand-new one. And it can work, too, in a rural setting. Just look at I-75, which is three lanes all the way to Chattanooga.

Congestion though traffic does move at normal speeds and yes it because of the north-south traffic of 77 and northwest-southeast traffic of 26

Originally Posted by toll_booth

I'm cautiously open to a Savannah-Augusta freeway, but I have serious reservations with it going any further north unless it crosses into South Carolina.

i totally agree with you on this but i would continue it more on northwestern course from Augusta to Athens and Gainesville eventually to I-75 as someone stated earlier in the tread it could be an extension of I-24 which would then stretch from Illinois to Savannah

[Metro Stats]

construction time and money could be save by piggybacking the interstate along I-75 from Chattanooga into Ga somewhere between Dalton and Cartersville and also along I-20 from Augusta to around Crawfordville and Greensboro.

[GeorgiaBoy15]

Pretty much, but the Fall Line Freeway isn't. As a matter of fact it's almost complete. In the future I think I-14 will take over the route of the Fall Line Freeway, but that's probably not in the near future though.