Georgia transportation officials plan for double the number of drivers by 2050

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - By 2050, the number of drivers on Georgia’s roads will more than double. Lawmakers have allotted billions of dollars to the Georgia Department of Transportation to start projects to adjust for the growth in the state.

Georgia Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry gave a presentation to state lawmakers on Thursday.

“We want Georgia to continue to be the number one state to do business,” said McMurry.

$2.1 billion is being spent to improve 41 miles along I-75. McMurry calls the stretch “a major freight artery.” The section of interstate between Macon and Metro Atlanta will get two additional lanes designated just for trucks. He said this project prioritizes growth and safety.

“If you talk about freight and logistics, the highest percentage of fatalities involved tractor-trailers on this corridor,” said McMurry.

Transportation Chairman Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) said most projects take roughly 10 years to complete.

“The big expansion is going on right now, we see it, we feel it, you cant drive throughout our state and see the truck traffic and the moving of rail that is going on,” said Jasperse.

The I-16/ I-95 interchange project in Savannah wraps up this year. The $317 million project includes widening the road and a turbine interchange with a flyover ramp to help trucks pick up at the state’s port.

The I-285/I-20W project is at least a $1 billion project, but this intersection is considered the 5th-worst bottleneck intersection in the U.S. They plan to widen the road and the ramp to improve traffic flow.

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