Last month, the Rome News-Tribune reported that the Georgia DOT (GDOT) will be acquiring the necessary right-of-way for the long-proposed US 411 Connector "as soon as GDOT engineers “tweak” the design for the ramps linking the two highways."

I'm not sure what the "tweaking" will be, but nonetheless, this news hopefully means that we truly will see a completed US 411 Connector (GDOT Project EDS-500) sometime within our lifetimes.

In the meantime, I've looked over some of the detailed design drawings to get the best look possible at how the Connector will look.

From what I have seen, the Connector will be a fully limited-access highway from I-75 to the current US 41/US 411 interchange. However, the design will not exactly be to Interstate standards, particularly at its eastern end at I-75 (click here for drawing).

The interchange with US 411/GA 61 is proposed as a very compact "folded diamond" as detailed in this particular drawing.  While it is not an Interstate-style interchange, it is much better than an at-grade intersection IMHO.

To assure fully limited access along its entire 6 mile (10 km) route, bridges will carry the Connector over most other roads and railroad tracks it encounters. Old Grassdale Road and Clifton Way will have cul-de-sacs (turnarounds) built on either side of the connector. Either way, there will be no at-grade intersections between I-75 and US 41/GA 3.

Finally, the current "trumpet" design of the US 41/US 411 interchange, the western terminus of the project, will be converted to a full diamond style. Eastbound traffic will have separate exits for southbound and northbound US 41/GA 3 as seen in this drawing.

As for highway rerouting, it looks like GA 20 will be rerouted onto the new Connector in its entirety and US 411 itself would join GA 20 at the new GA 61 interchange. GA 61 may continue on its current routing into downtown Cartersville.

For way too long, Rome and Atlanta have not had this much-needed efficient connection and it remains my hope that GDOT will do what it takes to get the US 411 Connector built and open to traffic. I, for one, anticipate the day that it opens and would like to be one of the first to drive this new section of highway. My father was lucky enough to be one of the first to drive the current US 411/GA 20 4-lane once it was opened in the early 1960s, and in a way, I see it as following in my father's footsteps.

Speaking of my father, Mary and I will be visiting my folks to celebrate his birthday, right after we do a couple of presentations at the Georgia Toastmasters Fall Conference in Duluth.

I've got to get ready, so that's it for now. Happy Birthday to my dad, thanks to y'all for reading, and please come back often.

 

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