Quote:
Originally Posted by fivenine
Since we have a discussion about interstate highways, I thought it would be neat to talk about everyone's favorite US Highways.
My favorite one in the upper south is US Highway 62 which runs across the Arkansas Ozarks and goes across the scenic portions of western and central Kentucky. I also like US 74 across North Carolina as well. I don't have any exprience traveling out West or the New England so I can't comment on those routes.
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Funny that you switched the topic to U.S. Highways, because yesterday I drove the entire length of U.S. 123.
The southern terminus of U.S. 123 is at U.S. 23/U.S. 441 near Clarkesville, GA; and the northern terminus is at the northern terminus of I-385 in Greenville, SC. Going northbound, U.S. 123 is your typical Georgia four-lane divided arterial highway, but after seven miles it makes a left turn off the four-lane highway (which continues as GA 17) onto a winding two-lane road for three miles into the town of Toccoa, and then seven miles to the Tugaloo River and Lake Hartwell, where it crosses into South Carolina.
In South Carolina, U.S. 123 continues as a winding two-lane road for 10 miles before entering the town of Westminster, where U.S. 76 eastbound merges in from the left, and the two highways share a four- to six-lane alignment for 15 miles from Westminster through the town of Seneca to the town of Clemson. Along this segment, the highway is divided in areas with little development, and undivided with a center turning lane in the major commercial corridors.
In Clemson, U.S. 76 eastbound splits off to the right, and U.S. 123 becomes a four-lane limited-access highway for 16 miles through a sparsely-developed area to the town of Easley, where it becomes four- to six-lane arterial highway again. Since development is continuous from Easley into Greenville, the highway is entirely undivided with a center turning lane.
On the west side of Greenville, U.S. 123 is a gritty commercial and light industrial corridor, but development becomes more upscale closer to downtown, which has an impressive-looking skyline and some nice amenities for those who are willing to venture off I-85 to see them. Passing by the west end of downtown Greenville, U.S. 123 then curves to the right and passes by the north end of downtown, where it ends at the northern terminus of I-385 next to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, and just a couple of blocks from the Pettigru Street Historic District and the Greenville Zoo.
Judging by my Rand-McNally Road Atlas, I venture that eventually GDOT and SCDOT will build a new four-lane alignment for U.S. 123 past Toccoa and over Lake Hartwell to the south of its current alignment. As it is right now, a bypass of Toccoa is partially complete, using the four-lane highway that U.S. 123 currently splits off from to enter town, but the highway (GA 17) dead-ends at a two-lane road east of town.
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