During the first quarter of 2011, Georgia DOT (GDOT) released the 2011-2012 Official Highway and Transportation Map.

For the longest time, I've been meaning to share my thoughts and observations on this new map, so here goes...

Starting with the cover, I like fellow North Georgia College alumnus Jack Anthony's photo of Dahlonega's BlackStock Vineyards and Winery. GA 60, which takes travelers from GA 400's northern end to Dahlonega, is one of the Georgia Wine Highway routes that are designated with the following sign...



The new map also shows the fully-completed I-520 (Bobby Jones Expressway/Palmetto Parkway) in both Georgia and South Carolina, as well as the new Dublin By-Pass.

The Dublin By-Pass has been designated as US 441 By-Pass/GA 117. In most cases when GDOT builds new by-pass routes, they tend to sign them as the "mainline" route (e.g. US 441) and designate the old route going through the heart of town as a business route (e.g. US 441 Business). In any event, this new by-pass results in US 441 (GRIP corridor EDS-441) being 4-laned from I-16 to the Putnam/Baldwin County line at Lake Sinclair.

Another thing I noticed on the new map is an addition of a new detailed inset highlighting Georgia's portion of the Appalachian Trail. Not only does it show the trail's path, but it also provides locations of U.S. Forest Service roads in the vicinity and parking areas along the places where the trail crosses the various and sundry roads and highways in the area.

One error did get put back into the map, however. That error being that US 27/GA 1 in Chattooga County is again being shown as a divided highway from just past Gore-Subligna Road, when in fact, 27 still narrows back down to 2 lanes as you approach said intersection.

Here is the image taken from the 2009-2010 map...



... and here's the same section from the new map...



The most recent GDOT Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP) status map shows the section in question as being in a "preliminary engineering" status from Gore-Subligna Road to Summerville/Trion. I travel this particular route at least once per year and have yet to see any construction activity at this particular location.

Other than the above error, the only thing I would add back to the map would be the broken double-lines that show sections of new highway alignment that are under construction (e.g. Southwest Rome By-Pass in Floyd County).

Overall, I find the map to be very well done. On a 1-to-5-star rating, I would give the map 4 1/2 stars. I even picked up a few extra copies from their maps office in Chamblee to give to family and friends.

Since GDOT is apparently releasing maps on a bi-annual basis due to budget cuts, I expect to see the next release in the Spring of 2013.

For your own printed copy of the Georgia map, you can get them at one of Georgia's official welcome centers, some local visitors centers such as the Alpharetta Visitors Center (located just off US 19/GA 400 Exit 10 at the corner of Old Milton Parkway/GA 120 and South Main Street/GA 9) and the Macon Welcome Center on I-75 southbound in Monroe County, or via GDOT's online map order form.

To view older GDOT highway maps from 1920 through the 2009-201 map, please click here. I spent some time viewing several of these old maps and was throughly fascinated with how Georgia's highways have evolved over the past 90 years. If you are a roadgeek or otherwise get into maps, then I think you'll enjoy this as well.

BTW, most Georgia state government facilities will be closed this Monday (April 25th) in observance of Confederate Memorial Day. The official state welcome centers will be open AFAIK, so you should be able to get your new map at any of those locations despite the holiday.

That's it for now. For more "road news" from around Georgia, please see our official Facebook page and please feel free to "like" it. Thanks for reading and for your support.

 

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