

The Atlanta Regional Commission received 667 comments from residents throughout metropolitan Atlanta during a recent public comment period to coincide with the quadrennial update to the Atlanta Region’s plan. Seven comments mentioned expediting improvements along state route 155.
Over five-hundred comments were submitted by supporters of the Atlanta Beltline seeking quicker implementation for the planned transit loop. By comparison, thirty-one comments were categorized as either “managed lanes / freeways†or “roadways / traffic congestion.â€
The Atlanta Regional Commission offered the following responses to comments received that pertain to Henry County:
Comment: address various concerns related to travel conditions along I-75 South, particularly related to safety and freight traffic.
Three major projects are planned along the corridor: 1) construction of separate lanes for commercial vehicle lanes in the northbound direction of I-75 between I-475 and SR 155, 2) extension of managed lanes between SR 138 and C.W. Grant Parkway, and 3) construction of a new interchange in the vicinity of Bethlehem Road.
Funding resources exist to implement other small-scale operational and safety improvements as they are identified. Projects of this nature are not explicitly identified in the RTP. The specific concerns expressed by commenters have been shared with GDOT for that agency’s consideration.
Comment: expedite the SR 155 widening and other projects in Henry County.
ARC will work to help expedite these critical projects. The RTP includes two projects to widen SR 155. HE-113 will add one lane each direction between I-75 and SR 42, while HE-189 will extend the widening from I-75 southward to Hampton-Locust Grove Road. HE-113 is proposed for construction in 2024. A precise construction schedule has not yet been developed for HE-189, but it is expected to be sometime shortly after 2030. In addition to these projects which will provide direct congestion relief along SR 155, a new interchange will be constructed at or near where Bethlehem Road crosses I-75. This project is also scheduled for completion shortly after 2030.
Comment: create truck-only lanes.
As part of the Major Mobility Investment Program, GDOT is currently developing plans for the construction of two commercial vehicle lanes (truck only lanes) in the northbound direction of I- 75 from I-475 near Macon to a location near the existing SR 155 interchange in Henry County. Tolling is not anticipated and the exact northern terminus will be determined during project development. The current schedule calls for completion sometime prior to 2030, and GDOT is currently reassessing the ability to advance the project on a faster timeline.
The I-75 South Commercial Vehicle Lanes are currently the only road facilities proposed for exclusive use by trucks within the Atlanta Region, although various proposals have been considered on other freeway and arterial corridors. ARC will continue working with GDOT through the freight planning process to determine whether other facilities are feasible.
The ARC board is scheduled to consider adoption of the regional transportation plan later this month. More information about all Henry County projects included within the RTP is available on our web page.