What city will Atlanta consume/merge with first? (Columbus, Macon: credit, living in)

[ATLCOL1]

I-85 toward LaGrange and Columbus is the next growth corridor. Kia is helping. Plenty of cheap land to develop.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by ATLCOL1

I-85 toward LaGrange and Columbus is the next growth corridor. Kia is helping. Plenty of cheap land to develop.

The proposed extention of I-185 from Columbus to Panama City would be huge for Columbus, too. Hope it happens.

[ATLCOL1]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

The proposed extention of I-185 from Columbus to Panama City would be huge for Columbus, too. Hope it happens.

A study is being done right now. The 4-laning of Hwy 431 is about to be finished. There is only a small portion south of Phenix City that is under construction. Once that is complete, it will be 4-laned from Columbus all of the way to Panama City.

Also, the I-14 corridor from Mississippi thru Montgomery on over to Columbus then on to Macon and Augusta is planned as well. A study is being conducted at this time. That would be huge as well. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Columbus would benefit greatly.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by ATLCOL1

A study is being done right now. The 4-laning of Hwy 431 is about to be finished. There is only a small portion south of Phenix City that is under construction. Once that is complete, it will be 4-laned from Columbus all of the way to Panama City.

Also, the I-14 corridor from Mississippi thru Montgomery on over to Columbus then on to Macon and Augusta is planned as well. A study is being conducted at this time. That would be huge as well. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Columbus would benefit greatly.

Agreed; IMO the lack of interstate access has really held Columbus back.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

The proposed extention of I-185 from Columbus to Panama City would be huge for Columbus, too. Hope it happens.

Isn't there a push to have this go thru Albany and on to Tallahassee instead of to Panama City?

[ATLCOL1]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Isn't there a push to have this go thru Albany and on to Tallahassee instead of to Panama City?

It is slated to go that way. The study should be done in a few months. I know Columbus and Albany officials are really pushing for it.

[harrat]

Originally Posted by matt8325

what about on I-20 from Atlanta to Birmingham ?

I hope I-20 from Birmingham to Atlanta to Augusta to Columbia, sc.

That's why in the long run I know Augusta will benefit sooner or later. Because its between Atlanta and Columbia. That land between Augusta - Atl, and Aug-Cola will be developed after while.

[matt8325]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

I'm not so sure it is the least developed...a few years ago maybe, but things have begun to shift in recent years. You might not be able to see all of the development driving on I20, but there is a lot of it just off the highway. Does anyone remember Thornton Rd about 15 years ago? It was VERY sleepy and hardly developed at all. Today it is not pretty, but is consistently busy and built up all the way past Bankhead Highway through Hiram to Paulding County. Several new schools have been added to Douglas, Habersham, and other counties along the I20 west route, so I know the population growth is booming out that way.

I20 east has gobs of development all through Dekalb and beyond...

I75, I85 and I285 on the south side is the next big development area...Peachtree City, Fairburn, Union City, Palmetto, Fayetteville - all experiencing explosive growth. Creekside High School in Fairburn had the largest enrollment in Fulton County Schools a couple of years ago...a new high school has been built since then to alleviate the overcrowding and 3 new elementary schools have opened since then. I taught at E.C. West in Fairburn, and our enrollment went from 487 in 1999 to 1,200 in 2005. It was a nightmare!

Habersham is not west of ATL, it's in the mountains.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by matt8325

Habersham is not west of ATL, it's in the mountains.

Probably meant Haralson County. That and Carroll County are the only ones left past Douglas before you get to Alabama.

[terrence81]

I don't know. Although gas prices have gone down I still think that people are going to get away from that type of growth too. I live in the Washington DC area now and people have all these super long commutes in order to save money on housing. Atlanta's home prices are nowhere near as high as DC's and I just think Atlanta is going to reach it's limit. Long commutes just aren't as trendy as they used to be. Now I'm not preaching the gospel. But now that I live in the DC area suburban is certainly more desireable I look at the houses in my price range that are a 45 minute to an hour commute from work and I fall in love but not enough to endure the commute everyday nor spend more money filling my suv. The same trend I'm sure is going to follow in Atlanta just look at places like Atlantic Station.

Also inner-city Atlanta has a lot going for it and I think it's too desireable to hollow out again. At least that's my opinion. So no long commutes suck and Columbus, Augusta, Macon and Chattanooga will stay seperate cities. That's my prediction. Call me at 1900 1-sucker and I'll give you your lucky numbers.