New truck lanes are coming to Georgia! The new plan includes extensions on Interstate 75 northbound between Interstate 475 in Macon and Ga. 155
in McDonough.
The new lanes will provide separation for large trucks from the normal passenger cars.
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said the plan is a major safety improvement and a mobility improvement.
That project, which will cost a little more than $2 billion, is in its early stages. No design has yet been prepared.
The truck lane addition is part of a 10-year transportation vision laid out by Gov. Nathan Deal. The plan is expected to cost the state around $10 billion.
Deal said the transportation improvements will make Georgia a more desirable place to live and will make it more attractive to companies considering moving here.
The truck lane project is one of the largest single items on the list.
The state also will spend money on filling potholes, sealing road cracks and replacing bridges. Some of those smaller jobs have already begun.
Deal said this plan is the first he’s seen of this magnitude when it comes to improving Georgia infrastructure, adding that the projects will reduce congestion and make Georgia’s roads safer.
If you want to see all of the new projects, check out garoads.org.
To raise the money, the Legislature passed a new $5 fee per night on hotel stays and new charges for alternative fuel vehicles. Legislators also changed the way the gasoline tax is measured. Now, the it is calculated as a tax on volume of gas instead of the sales price. This resulted in an increase of five to six cents a gallon when the law went into effect.
