I-16 - Connection?

[109investments]

I am wondering why doesnt the state of Georgia, connect Columbus to Savannah via I-16 .....they only have to develop the route from Columbus to Macon?

[gah]

I am wondering why doesnt the state of Georgia, connect Columbus to Savannah via I-16 .....they only have to develop the route from Columbus to Macon?

[catdr]

ahhh - but Atlanta has a lot of votes.

[Zumthor]

There was a plan proposed for a new Interstate that would link Savannah, Macon, Columbus, the blackbelt region of Alabama, and eventually connect to New Orleans. It was on the news within the last 2-3 years. I haven't heard anything lately though.

[davidals]

^

That would be I-14, which would run from Augusta (from I-20), Macon, Columbus, Montgomery, Selma, southern MS(Laurel/Hattiesburg & McComb?), Natchez, Alexandria LA (to I-49), with a possible western extension to Houston or Austin. Check the Augusta thread, there have been several discussions on this board. In GA it would be an upgrade of the Fall Line highway, and it has generated a bit of discussion in some but not all states along the route.

Unlike most of the other planned new interstates, this one doesn't seem to have generated much opposition, and actually would follow a fairly coherent, direct route. But finding the money for it will be very tough - at this point, any new interstate will be a multi-billion $ proposition, and for that reason (along with much tighter environmental regs now vs. the 1950s when the original interstates were being planned), I seriously doubt we're going to see the I-system expand much beyond the network already in place.