I wish so much that they would bring back the Northern Arc & Super Arterial Expressway plans (Atlanta: insurance, movers)

[Need4Camaro]

I know alot of people in the Metro are anti-freeway but this city feels very under-engineered for the populous who lives here. I am finding myself stuck in complete stop and go traffic during non peak hours or weekends on I-85 in Gwinnett County and its only getting worse. I do understand that freeways arnt the real solution, but I also view these corridors as necessary for economic purposes as well, not just commuting.

I believe the Northern Arc or a full Secondary Bypass is NECESSARY at this point as there is alot of out-of-state traffic that must pass through Atlanta to proceed either southbound to Florida or Northbound to the Northeastern or Midwestern states. With the stadium sitting right on the Southeasts busiest interchange (I-75 & I-285) during game days, all thru traffic will suffer, they can't even get to the by-pass before they encounter unavoidable traffic jams. Basically so all thru traffic to and from Florida (much of which can't use any alternative routes) can bypass Atlanta, even better that the PeachPass interopability allows SunPass users to pay to use it.

For the Super Arterial Highways, this is mainly to draw local traffic that is on the Interstates, off the interstates. This is to create alternative routes and methods of travel. Also the tolled limited access portions would provide funding to support the highway and existing Interstates.

[MattCW]

I agree. Roads and highways certainly have their place too. I think the one I wish they would have really completed is Freedom Parkway to meet up with 78, even without connecting 400 and I-675. It would give Gwinnett commuters a better, more direct route than having to go down to I-20 or up to I-85.

[Carolina Knight]

The northern arc or an interstate highway from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Interstate 85 in northeast Georgia would be the best options to help resolve existing traffic and prepare for additional traffic north of the Atlanta area. If Georgians are content using Interstate 285 as a parking lot and opposed to doable solutions like new roads, more power to them.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by MattCW

I agree. Roads and highways certainly have their place too. I think the one I wish they would have really completed is Freedom Parkway to meet up with 78, even without connecting 400 and I-675. It would give Gwinnett commuters a better, more direct route than having to go down to I-20 or up to I-85.

you would pave over olmstead linear park with a freeway?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

you would pave over olmstead linear park with a freeway?

Hard to believe that was actually on the table, isn't it?

I've always believed that a Northern Arc was badly needed, now more than ever.
A spur between I-75 in Spalding County and I-85 in Jackson County might be useful as well. I-75 in Henry County is a nightmare.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

you would pave over olmstead linear park with a freeway?

Yeah, really..
Then there was the proposal by jerk/corrupt/former insurance commissioner John Oxendine who suggested during his ill-fated bid for the gop gubernatorial nomination in 2010 that the GADOT should dug a tunnel under Morningside, Virginia Highland, Poncey Highland on into southeast Atlanta.
He also at that time pooh-poohed another look at the northern arc proposal that would have intruded on his own home constituency area as being "too costly". I don't know what he thought it would cost to dig a tunnel under intown Atlanta but perhaps he had a way to do it on the cheap. LOL!
Anyway, there is a point to the o.p's thoughts though.
For a metro of 5.5 million folks & a swelling north Georgia, the area is woefully underserved by freeways. Honestly, the future looks grim for traffic stagnation in the outer areas (& metro Atlanta's future by extension)without any real reliever for I-285. And I say this as a person who absolutely hates to see natural areas ripped apart for road construction.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Hard to believe that was actually on the table, isn't it?

I've always believed that a Northern Arc was badly needed, now more than ever.
A spur between I-75 in Spalding County and I-85 in Jackson County might be useful as well. I-75 in Henry County is a nightmare.

You can thank our state's illustrious political class for trying to force GDOT to turn a freeway connection-only Northern Arc into a exit-every-other-mile highway so that land they bought would exploded in value due to sprawling development.

Had the Outer Perimeter/Northern Arc been built when it was first proposed, we would've been lamenting on here the insane amount of sprawl that it would've brought to those exurban counties.

[cqholt]

We will never see a new freeway be built in Atlanta.

[brown_dog_us]

Originally Posted by Gulch

You can thank our state's illustrious political class for trying to force GDOT to turn a freeway connection-only Northern Arc into a exit-every-other-mile highway so that land they bought would exploded in value due to sprawling development.
.

I remember looking at some land up there maybe 15 years ago, and it was obvious that certain people had snapped up very specific land.

[primaltech]

We don't need to spend billions on building new highways. We need to use our existing highways more effectively and efficiently as mass people movers.

Here is a typical section of I-285 top end, with 6 lanes on one side:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9203...7i13312!8i6656

Imagine if this was, 2 shipping trucks-only lanes on the right, 3 cars-only general purpose lanes in the middle, and 1 commuter bus-only lane on the left, with its own exits. Barriers separating those 3 sections.

Then you wouldn't have to deal with all the trucks clogging up your lanes, and they wouldn't have to deal with cars. Also, you'd have a guaranteed traffic congestion-free way to get to your job/baseball game/airport/whatever. Take the damn bus.

Everybody should be able to drive to a local park&ride, get on buses, and utilize the highways that way. Much, much more efficient utilization of limited highway lane space, than everyone in individual cars.

Also, we wouldn't have to raise taxes for even more billions of dollars for even more asphalt, that's just going to get congested anyway.