172 replies to this topic

[teshadoh]

Why on earth would they need that large of a ROW?

[augga706]

New info on I-3. It looks like it will be built. Either through knoxville, greenville or another route.

The board of directors of the Stop I-3 Coalition, will meet Friday to discuss a possible design that would take the interstate north through Greenville, S.C. instead of through the ga mountains.

Congress approved $1.32 million to study the idea in 2005 as part of the federal Transportation Equity Act.

"This is just one of a number of possible alternate routes that we are looking at and trying to see what would work best. There's nothing written up and nothing official has even been drafted."

Dr. Broun is talking to north Georgia residents and the other members of Georgia's congressional delegation about possible routes for I-3.

When the feasibility study for the interstate was commissioned in 2005, everyone assumed the route would be a straight line from Savannah to Knoxville

http://chronicle.aug...et_178877.shtml

Edited by augga706, 02 January 2008 - 03:51 PM.

[912]

I see nothing in the article that indicates I-3 will be built. Just another round of studies.

Personally, I'd love to see it go through Greenville.

[augga706]

It seems I-3 gets brought up or mention more than I-14. Both were in the same bill. We know atleast one or both will be built. You never know what could happen. There would be no need to form a stop I-3 coalition. If the chances for the interstate being built weren't pretty good. I agree with you about greenville. That would help all three cities savannah, augusta, greenville

Edited by augga706, 02 January 2008 - 04:51 PM.

[j.midtown]

teshadoh, on Jan 2 2008, 02:50 PM, said:

Why on earth would they need that large of a ROW?

Football fields are 50 yards wide, 3 placed side-by-side would be 450 feet. Consider the following basic rural interstate profile:

+---- 76' ----|== 38' ==|---- 76' ----|== 38' ==|---- 76' ---+
. clear ROW .. roadbed . clear median . roadbed .. clear ROW

That's 304 feet right there. I-3 would go through some rather uneven terrain in the northern segments and acquiring additional ROW would allow wider separation to handle significant terrain change between the NB/SB roadways basically making the two completely separate.

+----76'----|== 38' ==|----76'----+
...................................\
....................................\
.....................................\
......................................\
.......................................+---- 76' ----|== 38' ==|---- 76' ----+

I seriously doubt 450' of ROW is needed for the entire length of the project however.

Edited by j.midtown, 02 January 2008 - 11:03 PM.

[912]

More public input on I-3

[teshadoh]

Thanks j.midtown, I was thinking the other side of football fields - 100 yards.

[troyboytn]

The only beneficial route is between Knoxville and Savannah. This route would relieve traffic congestion on I-75 from Knoxville through Atlanta to Florida. An Atlanta bypass, if you will (if traveling from Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan to Florida...which btw is a very large number of vehicles). A Greenville route would help this traffic flow in no way and is not neaded because of I-26 flowing into I-95 at Charleston, just up the road from Savannah. There is no need to build roads just to build them. Something this costly must have a real purpose.

[912]

Troy, I agree with you, to an extent. This could be an opportunity to relieve congestion in far north Atlanta, and divert thru traffic away from 285 & the city center. But, keep in mind (and I could be wrong), but I recall the primary purpose for I-3 was for military transport & movement of goods to & from Savannah's port, as well as direct access to Augusta.

For my own reasons, I'd prefer a route to Greenville. Loop it north of the city up US 25 (which is already four laned), and hook it up with I-26 south of Hendersonville, NC. However, I see the wisdom of another route directly to Knox. As for that, you can thank the NIMBY's in the N. GA & WNC mountains for possibly killing off a more direct route.

[912]

UP'ers in SC seem willing to have I-3 routed through or near Greenville...I say,let's go for it!

[PJA]

I live in Augusta and I had to go to Greenville twice in the last year or so and hated the drive because all of the turns and back roads you have to take. Same for when I go to Savannah although that wil be a little better now that the Savannah River Parkway is finished. I would love for i-3 to go through greenville.

[augga706]

Interstate 3 articles
But Broun now says he has learned how important the highway could be to Augusta and Savannah and says he's trying to get the route to avoid the Georgia mountains.
Savannah- Augusta- Greenville New Route May Be In Store For Proposed Interstate

Rep. Paul Broun says he has a plan to keep a proposed north-south highway from cutting through the north Georgia mountains while still bringing economic benefits to Augusta and Savannah.
http://www.wrdw.com/...s/13507597.html


http://www.wjbf.com/midatlantic/jbf/news_i...01-07-0020.html [/b]

Edited by augga706, 07 January 2008 - 08:09 PM.

[aboutmetro]

I still like the idea of an I-30 extension from Arkansas explained here, along with I-81 extension to create the north and west segments of a north Georgia perimiter.

[augga706]

I-14 should already be built already. Since it would link augusta, columbus, and macon three of GA top metros together. There is talk to extend it east to myrtle beach or wilmington north carolina. And west to austin or el paso texas.

I like I-3 between knoxville or greenville more. I-30 extension is okay. I see I-30 would link
with I-75 like the proposed I-3. So they are trying to divert traffic away from atlanta. And bring it through augusta, & savannah.

Edited by augga706, 11 January 2008 - 11:48 PM.

[augga706]

''I-3 would provide Augusta and Savannah with the interstate access they badly need''

''Under my proposal, the federal government would have to consider the advantages of connecting Augusta and Savannah to the interstate system by utilizing an existing network of roads leading to the interstate systems in either Clinton, S.C. or Greenville, S.C.''

http://onlineathens.com/stories/011508/opi...080115024.shtml

Edited by augga706, 19 January 2008 - 02:05 PM.

[Spartan]

Your proposal? Are you US Representative Paul Brown?

[augga706]

I wish i could get a proposal. But i was just showing a piece of the article. And i thought when people click the link on the article. It says by rep paul brown.

Edited by augga706, 17 January 2008 - 03:54 PM.

[socaguy]

LOL...
Seriously, this would make my monthly trip to Augusta to see my parents MUCH quicker, (the Hwy 25 proposal.)

[Spartan]

augga706, on Jan 17 2008, 04:51 PM, said:

I wish i could get a proposal. But i was just showing a piece of the article. And i thought when people click the link on the article. It says by rep paul brown.

Ok. In the future please put some quotes around copied sentences. We don't want to run into any sort of copyright infringement issues.

[andremurra]

fromsc2tx, on Jan 5 2008, 08:15 AM, said:

But, keep in mind (and I could be wrong), but I recall the primary purpose for I-3 was for military transport & movement of goods to & from Savannah's port, as well as direct access to Augusta.

The reason to make I-3 in the first place was so Max Burns (the rep who introduced it) could benefit from his investments in Screven County (his hometown) and bring economic development to Sylvania. He stated when he first introduced the idea, that the purpose was to bring economic development to a corridor where some of Georgia's poorest communities are located. Unfortunately, Sylvania doesnt need an interstate, it needs Industry. Savannah and Augusta could use a connection, but Statesboro also needs one as well as its urban area surpassed 53,000 last year.

The original I-3 proposal went no where near Ft. Stewart, and would require the convoys to go around the fort, exiting thru the south gate thru hinesville, southside and downtown savannah to get to the connection which is silly when they could exit from the north gate and knock 50 miles of roadway if I-3 connected to Statesboro at the I-16, hwy 67 exit - while connecting Savannah and Augusta and the emerging market of Statesboro. All the college kids would have an easier access to home, rather than using those scary backwoods roads.

The original purpose for interstates was to connect military bases and urban areas of 50,000+. Since they were developed, many more cities have become "eligible" including Statesboro. I am very critical of Max Burns' intentions - theres not enough money to develop interstates in every single poor area of the country, especially when those communities do not produce enough traffic to support the connections and make their developments feasible. I would say develop the region's industrial portfolio and connect the interstate to the communities that need it.

I say connect I-3 along the Southwest leg of the Savannah River Parkway at I-16 and Hwy 67. This would be the most logical place for purposes of Fort Stewart access at their north gate rather than driving south around Hinesville and Savannah. It would also save a lot of money without a direct I-95 interchange and cutting thru downtown Savannah as was originally proposed. I-16 already connects to I-95 and downtown, so it would work out for everyone: Savannah and Augusta and Statesboro would be connected, and Fort Stewart would have the most efficient access point. I think that option would satisfy the purpose that interstates were created under, rather than a politicians personal objectives. Thats just my opinion.