Virtual open house for I-75 Commercial Vehicle Lanes happening now

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Intermediate access points will be provided between the general purpose lanes and CVLs using slip ramps. Signage will direct commercial drivers where they should exit the CVLs if they have a local destination; all other drivers must remain in the truck only lanes.

High Falls Road is one of two local bridges within the project limits that will require an off-site detour to allow for its replacement. The second bridge is Pea Ridge Road in Forsyth. Georgia DOT is collecting feedback on the proposed detour routes as part of the truck lanes open house. The CVL project includes a total of twenty-seven new bridges, bridge replacements or bridge widening.

The commercial vehicle lanes will pass through most local interchanges by curving away from the interstate, passing under a new bridge constructed on the local roadway, and curving back to rejoin I-75 North. This method will be utilized at Georgia 36 / exit 201 and state route 16 / exit 205.

The Georgia 16 interchange is home to Dollar General distribution center and, in an announcement made on November 17, the 840,000 square feet Liberty Commerce Center will be leased by MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc. The Butts County Board of Commissioners in December 2019 approved the rezoning of over 1,000 acres at the northeast corner of the interchange for industrial development. The 1,224 acre project — including a portion located in Spalding County — has plans to add 18 million square feet of warehousing space over the next twenty years.

The commercial vehicle lanes will fly-over the Bill Gardner Parkway interchange in Locust Grove. The off-ramp and on-ramp for the general purpose lanes will travel underneath new bridges constructed above. When finished, this will have a similar appearance to the I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes in Cobb County known for its changes in elevation.

Locust Grove has seen a significant increase in warehousing space in the last few years. As of November 2020, 2.8 million square feet of industrial space is complete, 205,200 sq ft is under construction, and an additional 4.6 million sq feet is either planned or has been rezoned. Development is concentrated in the 343-acre ClayCo project off Price Drive and the Georgia 42 corridor.

The commercial vehicle lanes are planned to end in the vicinity of Bethlehem Road / mile 214. Not pictured in the state’s animated video is the proposed Bethlehem Road interchange. The interchange is expected to include direct access from the truck only lanes and provide Henry County residents with an additional access point to I-75. Georgia DOT is actively working with the city of Locust Grove to advance the interchange in coordination with the truck lanes project.

A northbound auxiliary lane is planned from the northern terminus of the truck only lanes to state route 155 / exit 216. An auxiliary lane provides additional time for drivers to make lane changes between exits. This lane would be approximately two miles in length.

A second northbound auxiliary lane is planned from state route 155 / exit 216 to state route 20 / exit 218. Auxiliary lanes provide operational improvements to the interstate and represent the northern-most extent of the CVLs project.

Additional information available through the Georgia DOT virtual open house includes an animated video about the proposed project, the most recent concept design and more options to submit public comments. Visit the open house!

All images are credited to Georgia DOT.