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DOT: Get ready for congestion, lower speeds on I-85

Fri, 01/30/2009 - 5:03pm
By: The Citizen

COWETA County – The Georgia Department of Transportation announces a southbound traffic shift on Interstate 85 beginning at Exit 51 (State Route 154/McCollum-Sharpsburg Road) and extending to Exit 47 (State Route 34) beginning Sunday, Feb. 8. This traffic shift is subject to change based on weather conditions.

Beginning at Exit 51 on I-85 southbound, the previous three lanes of traffic will be reduced to two travel lanes. This shift will extend southbound to Exit 47.

In addition to the traffic shift and lane reduction, the posted speed limit of 60 mph will be reduced to 50 mph and will be strictly enforced.

Message boards, signs, barricades, barrels and cones will be utilized to alert and channel motorists through the area.

The scheduled completion date for this project is Dec. 31, 2009. Motorists should expect shoulder and lane closures on a continuing basis and are advised to use extra caution in construction work zones.

Georgia DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this or any other construction project on interstates and state routes.

Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, and delays due to inclement weather.

Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at www.511ga.org.

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High speed rail
Submitted by AggieMom on Sun, 02/22/2009 - 8:42am.

Here's an idea to reduce traffic, gasoline use, create jobs and keep Americans working: A high speed, double decker rail from one end of the country to the other, connecting every major city, and not-so-major. Make it electric or magnetic. Make every piece of the rail in America. This will re-open our factories. Only Americans will be involved from the engineers to the secretaries, designers to the construction workers and operators. Have a central grid in each state -- computer engineers to design it. Costly? Yes. The "bailout" money could put to use for something like this and keep Americans working for a long, long time.

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aggie (Tex)
Submitted by Bonkers on Sun, 02/22/2009 - 10:43am.

How about a rail from Atlanta to Peachtree City, over to Macon, and return to Atlanta (with a few stops)?

You think five million Americans would be needed to build the cross-country RR you propose? We will have more than that unemployed soon!
That is a 20 year project and we need employment NOW! I wouldn't mind carrying water for the spike drivers! I'd sleep under the train at night. We could cook beans and pork in a black pot every day, with eggs and ham for breakfast with good biscuits.

Just to build the necessary machinery to build a railroad these days would take years. Building it by hand is the only way to put all of these 16-21 year old people (including gals) to work.

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High speed rail
Submitted by AggieMom on Sun, 02/22/2009 - 11:01am.

But Bonkers, we have to start somewhere. Why not today? From Atlanta to PTC to Macon and back is a great place and way to start. Every state can begin their planning immediately and apply for the $$$ that is "supposedly" available from the Stim-Spend Package. Yes, it will take decades to accomplish a nation-wide rail, but in the meantime it does create jobs if the Government is serious about getting jobs to people. LOL on the cooking, but cooks will be needed, starting little businesses supplying meals, push carts, whatever. I'd even do that! Making molds for rail doesn't take long, or for the rail cars. We'll need leather or cloth or plastic seats. We'll need carpenters, etc. We'll need cleaners, rail operators, parking areas (more construction for parking decks!) The list is long and almost endless. Out-of-work people will find new careers. We don't give our citizens enough credit, but from adversity comes opportunity. If only our Government saw it that way... AggieMom

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