Savannah-Augusta-Knoxville Interstate (Chattanooga: live, cost, transportation)

[nortonguy]

WaysSouth - Press Releases (http://www.wayssouth.org/pressreleases/july2010.php - broken link)
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded a contract to ICF International of Fairfax, VA to conduct the study of Interstate 3 (I-3) planning, cost estimate and routing. The I-3 (Third Infantry Division Highway) study was originally introduced in 2005 by the late Charlie Norwood, then the Georgia District 10 Congressman. The study is funded by a $1.32 million earmark contained in the SAFETEA-LU Transportation Department funding Act of 2005 plus a 20% matching grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation. Authorizing legislation describes I-3 as “…a route from Savannah, GA to Augusta, GA and then to Knoxville, TN.” Routing originally proposed by the highway’s sponsors called for the interstate to cut through northeast Georgia and the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Three growing metros connecting to each other....

[hondaguy83]

Hmm sounds pretty sweet,Even tho i have never heard anything about all that,But if it happens then great

[Barking Spider]

Probably never happen. According to the press release, North Carolina and Tennessee are against the idea, and since the States have to pay a big chunk of $$$, I see it going nowhere.

I wonder who is paying for the 13 month study?

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by Barking Spider

Probably never happen. According to the press release, North Carolina and Tennessee are against the idea, and since the States have to pay a big chunk of $$$, I see it going nowhere.

I wonder who is paying for the 13 month study?

No, this will probably stay on the drawing board. Very costly and it would likely take a generation at least, to finish.

[inave]

I agree. If it DOES happen, I won't live long enough to see it. I think I heard that it is going to take over a year just to "study" it and that alone will cost 3-1/2 million dollars. (I could be wrong as I heard this on the 6 a.m. news so was not fully awake!)

[nortonguy]

Talks resume on new interstate linking Augusta-Knoxville | The Augusta Chronicle
The Federal Highway Administration is studying a possible new interstate that would connect Savannah and Augusta to Knoxville, Tenn., despite opposition from groups that say the project could destroy pristine lands. Government spokesman Doug Hecox told the Chattanooga Times Free Press the study of the project, which would be called Interstate 3, started in June, but there's no timeline for the completion.

[tsimmu]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

WaysSouth - Press Releases (http://www.wayssouth.org/pressreleases/july2010.php - broken link)
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded a contract to ICF International of Fairfax, VA to conduct the study of Interstate 3 (I-3) planning, cost estimate and routing. The I-3 (Third Infantry Division Highway) study was originally introduced in 2005 by the late Charlie Norwood, then the Georgia District 10 Congressman. The study is funded by a $1.32 million earmark contained in the SAFETEA-LU Transportation Department funding Act of 2005 plus a 20% matching grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation. Authorizing legislation describes I-3 as “…a route from Savannah, GA to Augusta, GA and then to Knoxville, TN.” Routing originally proposed by the highway’s sponsors called for the interstate to cut through northeast Georgia and the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Three growing metros connecting to each other....

Why is this a good thing? Are you originally from Augusta?

[jabogitlu]

I feel like this is a horrible idea. There is a strong, organized citizens' resistance movement and two states are not for it, either. Hopefully (and thankfully) I-3, if built, will exist only in GA to connect Savannah and Augusta.

[TedTLPN]

Here is how it MIGHT be shoved down our throats... I hope I'm wrong.

The study is going to find that using such a route would save millions and millions of dollars a year in shipping/transit costs/time etc. Big business will get involved, squash whatever opposition can be garnered by the communities. Then the politicians will spin the expense as a 'jobs growth' thing and that the money businesses save will somehow trickle down to the communities and everyone will sing 'we love capitalisim' to the tune of Cumbayá.

[NJDevil]

sorry if this is a dumb question, but building an interstate thru GSMNP wouldn't be an easy task, right? Granted we don't know where they would do it, but isn't the park protected by the fed gov't, not the state?