Traffic congestion on I-75 between Macon and Atlanta is some of the worst in the US. But Georgia drivers may soon get a reprieve when the state completes a 40-mile-long, trucks-only freeway that runs parallel to the highway.
The first-of-its-kind publicly-funded highway is designed to help ease existing traffic and prepare for the anticipated increase in truck traffic resulting from the ongoing expansion of the Port of Savannah. The project will be funded by a mix of new taxes and fees imposed as part of the state’s transportation funding bill.
Statewide Expansion
If the new trucks-only freeway relieves current traffic woes the way state transportation officials expect, the idea could be expanded throughout the state — and possibly beyond.
The cargo container port in Savannah is expected to become one of the busiest in the nation within the next decade. That’s because it’s one of the first stops along the East Coast where “Supermax” cargo ships passing through the newly-widened and deepened Panama Canal can make port.
Highways leading out of the port already are crammed with trucks, crowding out automobile traffic. So when the port gets even busier, truck traffic is expected to double, or even triple, in volume, causing a traffic nightmare for drivers.
40% Traffic Reduction
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal recently cited an independent report that the new trucks-only highway will reduce congestion by up to 40 percent.
“These results are a testament to the positive impact this investment will have on Georgians in the near future and in the long-term,” Deal said in a news release. “This report confirms what we’ve been saying all along: That these projects will move the needle when it comes to driver and freight mobility.”
The new highway will be comprised of two designated, separated truck lanes in the northbound direction only, accommodating trucks leaving the port hauling cargo. State transportation department officials said southbound lanes could be considered in the future.
The proposed freeway links I-75 in McDonough to where it connects with I-475 in Macon, a distance of about 40 miles. The lanes would be separated from other lanes by a barrier.
Trucking industry officials already have publicly supported the proposal, citing the fact that it would be free from tolls for trucks.
Changing the Cargo Channel
The $6 billion Panama Canal expansion project allows significantly bigger cargo ships to make their way to ports along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast from Asia for the first time. Before the project, these Supermax ships could only make port along the West Coast cargo ports, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle, and Oakland.
In preparation, $706 million in state and federal funds was spent on a dredging project to expand the port and deepen the Savannah River.
With the anticipated cargo boom at the Port of Savannah already underway, the area has become a focal point for new distribution centers and warehouses for some of the country’s biggest retailers, including Walmart, Ikea, Home Depot, Target and Pier 1 Imports.