Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The major reason why GDOT only added one new general purpose lane to each direction of I-85 instead of 2 is most likely because of money.
Even with the increased revenue that has been raised since the Georgia Legislature increased motor fuel taxes during the 2015 session of the Georgia General Assembly, GDOT still has barely had enough money to complete the expansion of the HOT lane system and general purpose lanes along I-85 that they've just finished up to Hamilton Mill Road.
(...As has been mentioned before, GDOT plans to continue widening I-85 to 3 lanes in direction up to the Georgia-South Carolina state line. I also think that GDOT also may still intend to expand the HOT lanes up to GA 211 at Chateau Elan, though the status of that project may not necessarily be exactly clear at this time.)
GDOT also has other major projects on the Interstate system that it either just recently completed (the $226 million I-75 South Express Lanes in Henry County, the $834 million I-75/I-575 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes in Cobb and Cherokee counties), are ongoing (the $1 billion+ I-285/GA 400 interchange reconstruction in Sandy Springs), and/or are planned (the addition of tolled express/bus rapid transit lanes to GA 400 North which is likely to cost upwards at about $500 million, and the addition of express lanes to the I-285 Top End Perimeter which is likely to cost well over $1 billion).
GDOT also has planned major projects like toll lanes along I-285 northwest and I-20 west OTP along with the long-needed reconstruction of the I-285/I-20 West interchange that appear to be still unfunded at this point in time.
That's not to mention the large backlog of repairs that GDOT has had on existing bridges, and the routine repairs and maintenance that GDOT still has to continue to perform on existing roadways throughout the state.
GDOT basically has a very limited pot of funds that it has to spread out to fund other projects, both major and routine, throughout the rest of the state.
With the ongoing funding challenges that an agency like GDOT continues to face, motorists who have to drive that stretch of I-85 everyday between Hamilton Mill and Old Peachtree roads should consider themselves fortunate to get the upgrades that they have gotten.
GDOT does seem to be doing more right now, as far as the number of active projects they've got going on, than at anytime since the 80's "Freeing the Freeways".
They also seem to be adhering to some of their highest quality standard also.
I-75 Northwest project seems to be of decent quality and doesn't embarrass Georgia along one of America's most prominent interstates.
I drove to Kennesaw to see how mad I would get at Georgia being the only place on earth that I know of that will no longer cantilever overhead signs, but instead spends over $60,000 on a huge, unappealing truss structure spanning entire roadway with 2 support poles for a single overhead sign.
Meanwhile TN, NC, SC and FL will mount 2 or 3 signs on a single cantilever without any problems, just need to be inspected every few years.
And while there about 20 or these single signs supported on both sides of the I-75, I can't get too mad because they are all mounted visually level, and I'm just in awe of the scale of the signs on I-75. They are freaking huge and command respect.
I passed the I-85 construction in the middle of the night, but I do recall level overhead signs, and perhaps too many. I remember seeing "Greenville" over and over again on countless overhead signs.
NC slyly passed a law capping the state gas tax at 37 cents per gallon a few years ago, but it is now indexed to inflation. So it should adjust automatically to sort of keep up.
We all should be grateful for all of the work that GDOT and other utilities are spending on. Ga Power finally decided to spend on intown's power lines, and I don't know if everyone has noticed the hundreds of 5G poles at intersections but Atlanta is blanketed with 5G coverage when it's rolled out next year.
Now I've got to send email requests to GDOT officials about the 100+ tons of debris and litter in the median of I-75 all the way to Kennesaw. You'd think we must all come from India or Calcutta to tolerate the amount that's accumulated.
It has to have been sitting there for 6 months or a year. That does make Atlanta look bad.
I invite all of you to join me in demanding better litter control.
The amount of cars up that way is indeed enough to clog even 4 general purpose lanes (as it frequently does at 985 and Old Peachtree.. and has for years) ...and I do agree that it won’t solve the bigger problem, but it will help some.
I would also be happy if commuter rail expanded out as far as MOG, Athens and Gainesville. That might not happen in my lifetime though.. and I’ve got quite a while before I croak. LOL
Managed lanes allow express buses to avoid the congestion, therefore attracting more riders and moving more people efficiently.
I still don’t understand why 2 general purpose lanes weren’t added.. just one. Traffic up that way is bad enough that just one free lane won’t be enough. I guess GDOT will figure that out the hard way and everyone will suffer for it.
Meanwhile, the project moves further up 85 past Hamilton Mill where 3 gen. purpose lanes in each direction WILL suffice.
Thats not a good idea!!!!!, Adding more lanes to the existing highway (with the HOT lanes) will cause them to do bridge reconstruction on a bridge they JUST BUILT !!!!!. In like 2011 and thats pointless for building a bridge like that on a highway. like what if they do get up to the point where they do have to add more lanes and it could be soon guys i believe Gwinnett Co is a fast growing county.
Thats not a good idea!!!!!, Adding more lanes to the existing highway (with the HOT lanes) will cause them to do bridge reconstruction on a bridge they JUST BUILT !!!!!. In like 2011 and thats pointless for building a bridge like that on a highway. like what if they do get up to the point where they do have to add more lanes and it could be soon guys i believe Gwinnett Co is a fast growing county.
That bridge seems to be accommodating 4 lanes underneath with possibly a 5th squeezed by taking 1' from a couple of other lanes and/or center median emergency pull-off. Also something looks to be planned for the right side.
It would be stupid to not build in at least a little room for future expansion in this day and time.
That bridge seems to be accommodating 4 lanes underneath with possibly a 5th squeezed by taking 1' from a couple of other lanes and/or center median emergency pull-off. Also something looks to be planned for the right side.
It would be stupid to not build in at least a little room for future expansion in this day and time.
A long, long time ago I thought maybe GDOT was planning on eventually (I'm not talking anytime soon) extending the C/D network found just north of 316 all the way up to Hamilton Mill Road. It would work with plenty of space on the outside of the mainlines for NB and SB.
Now, I'm pretty sure I read where they want to add an exit right there. It may allow for that with a loop underneath. But, that seems like a lot of extra space for that.
My dad and I drove the lanes Sunday when headed up north. No one else was using it at the time. Didn't go back SB but noticed it appeared they have the lane completed just a little farther north on the SB side so you can actually get in before reaching Hamilton Mill.
Also, they're doing a lot of bridge reconstruction along 85 way out in rural areas. I can only assume they're setting up for the eventual widening. A lot of trees have been cleared out along the shoulder though I think that is also for safety.
Thats not a good idea!!!!!, Adding more lanes to the existing highway (with the HOT lanes) will cause them to do bridge reconstruction on a bridge they JUST BUILT !!!!!. In like 2011 and thats pointless for building a bridge like that on a highway. like what if they do get up to the point where they do have to add more lanes and it could be soon guys i believe Gwinnett Co is a fast growing county.
That bridge seems to be accommodating 4 lanes underneath with possibly a 5th squeezed by taking 1' from a couple of other lanes and/or center median emergency pull-off. Also something looks to be planned for the right side.
It would be stupid to not build in at least a little room for future expansion in this day and time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedimenjerry
A long, long time ago I thought maybe GDOT was planning on eventually (I'm not talking anytime soon) extending the C/D network found just north of 316 all the way up to Hamilton Mill Road. It would work with plenty of space on the outside of the mainlines for NB and SB.
Now, I'm pretty sure I read where they want to add an exit right there. It may allow for that with a loop underneath. But, that seems like a lot of extra space for that.
sedimenjerry is right that the reason why the bridge in the picture that neighborhoodsn00per linked to (the GA 324 Gravel Springs Road bridge over I-85) is so long in length over I-85 is so there is enough space for future C/D lanes to serve the proposed future interchanges that are planned to be built at GA 324 Gravel Springs Road and at the proposed future northeastern extension of Sugarloaf Parkway from GA 316 north to P'tree Industrial Blvd.
The proposed future interchanges at GA 324 and the proposed Sugarloaf Parkway Extension are proposed to be very close together, so close together that they will need C/D lanes through them to handle the vehicular movements between them.
The space under the GA 324 Gravel Springs Road bridge is so wide so as to be able to accommodate the future C/D lanes alongside both sides of I-85 through both proposed future interchanges.
I've wanted to see these lanes in action. I-85 North of I-985 has long needed a rework. It is always congested regardless of the hour and there's just too much traffic up that way (not just Metro Atlanta but all the way into South Carolina) for 2 lanes to handle effectively anymore.
I'll be back on Thanksgiving, may end up taking a ride that way. I intended to see the HOT lanes on I-75 when I was last here in October but they were flowing the opposite way when I was on my way to Acworth.
I've wanted to see these lanes in action. I-85 North of I-985 has long needed a rework. It is always congested regardless of the hour and there's just too much traffic up that way (not just Metro Atlanta but all the way into South Carolina) for 2 lanes to handle effectively anymore.
I'll be back on Thanksgiving, may end up taking a ride that way. I intended to see the HOT lanes on I-75 when I was last here in October but they were flowing the opposite way when I was on my way to Acworth.
What I really like about that project is that they've added a dividing wall to much of the stretch of I-85 from the I-985 interchange up to just beyond the Hamilton Mill Road interchange.
I've seen too many traffic incidents along that stretch of I-85 where vehicles have crossed over the median and caused deadly collisions while crashing into oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the highway.
Also, they're doing a lot of bridge reconstruction along 85 way out in rural areas. I can only assume they're setting up for the eventual widening.
Are they really? A lot of those bridges over 85 in Jackson and Franklin Counties, particularly if they were at an interchange, were rebuilt about 10 years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedimenjerry
A lot of trees have been cleared out along the shoulder though I think that is also for safety.
I noticed this, too. The stand of trees in the streetview below, for instance, is nearly gone. Now it looks like what they did to I-16.
Are they really? A lot of those bridges over 85 in Jackson and Franklin Counties, particularly if they were at an interchange, were rebuilt about 10 years ago.
I noticed this, too. The stand of trees in the streetview below, for instance, is nearly gone. Now it looks like what they did to I-16.
Yep. It's not every bridge by any means. I don't remember, but I wanna say it was 3 bridges give or take. Definitely more than 1. They're all non interchange bridges that were pretty old.
Even though it looks kinda bad at first, I'm glad they cleared a lot of those trees along the side. Trees are incredibly dangerous and downright deadly.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thats not a good idea!!!!!
