New Circular Freeway to Parallel I-285?

[Urbanrailfan]

I have heard that they were proposing a New Circular freeway to parallel the I-285 Perimeter, which would be 20 miles away in radius. Just like Houston's Loop 610 was taken over by Beltway 8 in the 90s, is this the case? If so, tell me more.

[Guest donaltopablo]

It was scaled back to a 'Northern Arc', and that has been killed because of price and neighborhood impact. Believe it or not, a roadway project in Atlanta got killed off.

It's basically dead, some of the local counties may build pieces of it, but it won't stretch any significant lenght of the metro area and won't carry state or federal support.

[DBR96]

What the NIMBYers fail to realize is that they're the reason the project was considered in the first place. They all moved in droves out into the sticks, and as a result, the infrastructure in those areas (Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, north Gwinnett) is no longer adequate. If you hear anyone complaining about traffic in those areas, ask them if they support the construction of the Northern Arc, and if they say "no," immediately beat them within an inch of their lives.

[Chachi]

Yeah, a good one word answer to a second circular highway further out than the Perimeter is nawwgonnnaaahawpennn!

[Spartan]

I have a map that shows where that proposed road would be. I can't imagine that would be constructed in its entirety. Aren't there some peices of it that may still be constructed?

[derrickskugler]

As someone who lives in suburbia in north Atlanta, I can tell you that I would definately be in support of the northern Arc, but only if it was tied in with mass-transit shooting right up the middle of 75, 85 & 400, with a loop that connected all three new lines at the top. My proposal would be as follows...

I-75: Extend MARTA up the middle of 75 (or at least close to it) all the way up to Highway 92 (exit 277), and place a station by North Metro Technical College by the interstate, halfway between Highway 92 & Glade Road (exit 278).

I-85: Extend MARTA up the middle of 85 (or again, near it), all the way up to The Mall of Georgia (exit 120?). There is plenty of land up there for a station, and you could use some of that ridicuously over-sized parking lot they have there for MARTA parking, as well.

GA-400: Go ahead and extend this at least up to Windward Parkway (exit 11), and probably on up to exit 13 or 14 or so. There is still enough land up there to handle that.

Build 2 connecting lines that cut across the northern suburbs from I-75 to I-85 (with future growth possabilities that reach down to Douglasville areas in the west and Snellville areas in the east). The "east-west" line could run in a line from Marietta to Roswell to Duluth to Lawrenceville, and the outer "east-west" line could extend from Acworth/Cartersville to Woodstock/Canton to Alpharetta/Cumming to the Mall of Georgia/Buford area.

I realize that this would cost a small fortune, but doing this in the next 5 years would cost a heck of a lot less than doing this in 20-25 years. I think this would greatly ease the traffic that now chokes the northern suburbs, as well as spur further growth in these areas.

I'd certainly support an additional 1% sales tax in Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Bartow, Cherokee and Forsyth counties to fund this... and I'd claim to be a resident and vote in each county if I could. :-> So how's THAT for an overblown proposal that will probably never happen!?

[Spartan]

Indeed it is slighlty overblown, but I like the idea of it. I would gladly get on the MARTA at the Mall of GA to not drive down 85.

The only problem I see with your proposal is that there is a lack of density in the exubs like Gainsville. Lawrenceville maybe less. I've never actually been there though.

What I would like to see in Atlanta is new lines. Something that goes from Marrietta to Lawrenceville maybe.Another idea is a loop line that is more like London's Jubilee line for example. The loop that is being built now is too small. Their needs to be one further out.

[Chachi]

Big Loop--->Dead

I-75 to I-85--->Basically dead, but living in a few influential peoples' minds.

I'd also like some sort of public transport from Marietta to Lawrenceville or Snellville (cant remember which), which could basically follow route 120, which does the trip fairly decently.

[derrickskugler]

I'm with you... the single biggest accomplishment that could be made for the northside would be some kind of a light-rail transport line around highway 120. I'd take it from West Cobb county, around the Lost Mountain area, all the way over to Lawrenceville, around Highway 316, with stops every few miles (including a major hub that hit the North Springs MARTA station at GA 400), and you've accomplished eliminating many, many transportation woes in the north metro area. Good call.

[Southron]

What a dumb idea -- good thing it's dead. It would only induce more traffic and sprawl.

Hope you guys are successful with some form of transit.