New toll road in Florida to Georgia line? (Atlanta, Columbus: area, cities)

[Shrimpngrits]

Proposal is on the Governor's desk...Would extend Suncoast Parkway north to Jefferson County (Monticello...near Thomasville). It would generally follow US-19 route. Still in planning stages, and could take ten years. Idea is to provide a new corridor across West Florida, to ease traffic load on 75, and create another hurricane evacuation route. If built, it would be an economic boost for Thomasville, Albany, etc.

https://www.chronicleonline.com/news...522dd7495.html

[Saintmarks]

I wonder if Georgia will respond and tie it into US 19. An upgrade to freeway standard should happen and link to I-185.

[Soccernerd]

I thought the Suncoast Parkway:
1) has way fewer users than anticipated.
2) goes through sensitive swampland and has high local opposition.
3)would be extended to Jacksonville.

I actually think it could do well. If it linked up to 75 somewhere in North Florida or South Georgia. If you’re trying to get to St. Pete or Clearwate, 75 is slow.

[Shrimpngrits]

Good idea Saintmarks. I have some misgivings about how this would affect Georgia. Hwy 19 hasn't been keeping pace with the times, and there are already traffic issues when you go through Thomasville. Basically it's the same sprawling retail area that they have in Perry, FL, as I recall. Big rig trucks already are heavily traveling 19, and locals routinely dart in and out, using those odd little u-turn lanes. Funneling toll-road traffic into that mix would only increase the danger there.

Otherwise, it's an interesting development. I think they may have environmental issues with at least one of those roads, down in SW Florida, down around Marco.

It's interesting that one version of that northern toll road connects to I-75 instead...South of Valdosta. It's all pretty uncertain at this point, isn't it?

https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Ne...509365831.html

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

I thought the Suncoast Parkway:
1) has way fewer users than anticipated.
2) goes through sensitive swampland and has high local opposition.
3)would be extended to Jacksonville.

I actually think it could do well. If it linked up to 75 somewhere in North Florida or South Georgia. If you’re trying to get to St. Pete or Clearwate, 75 is slow.

Suncoast expansion has been delayed because it had fewer users than expected. It may or may not have had local opposition, but I hadn't heard of it. The "Northeast Corridor" proposal was going to connect Tampa with Gainesville. Although that wouldn't preclude splitting and also heading to Perry and up the 19 corridor.

It seems like a good way to connect West Florida and the state capitol to the rest of the state. I-75 doesn't do that as directly.

I've proposed this same thing with it extending in the 19 corridor to Thomasville, Albany and Columbus and then up I-185 and up to Cartersville as part of a western Atlanta bypass.

[Soccernerd]

Originally Posted by bu2

Suncoast expansion has been delayed because it had fewer users than expected. It may or may not have had local opposition, but I hadn't heard of it. The "Northeast Corridor" proposal was going to connect Tampa with Gainesville. Although that wouldn't preclude splitting and also heading to Perry and up the 19 corridor.

It seems like a good way to connect West Florida and the state capitol to the rest of the state. I-75 doesn't do that as directly.

I've proposed this same thing with it extending in the 19 corridor to Thomasville, Albany and Columbus and then up I-185 and up to Cartersville as part of a western Atlanta bypass.

I always envisioned Florida's Turnpike to continue in a northwest direction from its current terminus to meet up at 10 by Tallahassee or somewhere a bit to the east. Suncoast could work too.

There’s just probably not enough demand within the state or even from long-haul traffic.

[WanderingImport]

There’s still much opposition from rural North Central Florida regarding the expansion of this “road to nowhere” they call it.

The current proposal has it ending at Thomas county (GA-FL line) but traffic doesn’t warrant a toll road through there. If it ever did make it to North Florida, I agree, the route should take it further west to connect with 185 in Columbus, but let’s see if the road ever makes it past Citrus County, Florida.

[OneDawg]

Probably never going to happen. The Suncoast parkway has never seen full volume except on holidays - when everyone wants to avoid US19, US41 or I75 and only because of accidents. It's too expensive, and, it only saves about a half hour of time at peak periods into TPA.


US19 could be made into a limited access - sorta like it is now, but with toll booths on exits only. Getting up from Capps to Thomasville to Albany to Cordele on GA300 is pretty nice as it stands - there's no reason to have tolls - unless GA is broke.

[bu2]

Florida governor signs the bill.
https://www.tampabay.com/florida-pol...ntal-concerns/

[Need4Camaro]

My dream would be for it to terminate at the proposed I-81 in Georgia making a full bypass for Midwestern traffic around Atlanta and other I-75 cities.. that or meet up with U.S. 19 and upgrade U.S. 19 into a fully limited access road until Griffin where in southern Griffin it would junction with another bypass around the western section of Atlanta. meeting I-75 north of Cobb.