Interstate 185 (Georgia)

Interstate 185
Route information
Maintained by Georgia DOT
Length:	49.30 mi[1][2] (79.34 km)
Existed:	1979 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 27 / US 280 / SR 1 / SR 520 in Fort Benning
	US 80 / SR 22 in Columbus
North end:	I‑85 near LaGrange
Location
Counties:	Muscogee, Harris, Troup
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Georgia State Routes Interstate U.S. State Former ← SR 410 SR 413 →

Interstate 185 (I-185) is a 49.30-mile (79.34-km) secondary interstate in western Georgia. I-185 is also known as unsigned State Route 411, and is named the Chet Atkins Parkway for its entire length. It provides a freeway connection between the Metro Atlanta and Metro Columbus.

Route description

Its southern terminus is at US 27, US 280, SR 1, and SR 520 in Columbus, just north of Fort Benning; south of this interchange, a freeway continues onto the base. The interstate continues north from Muscogee County into Harris County, going through the western part of the county in relatively rural areas until it crosses into Troup County skirting the city of LaGrange to the east. Interstate 185 terminates at an interchange with Interstate 85 (I-85) near LaGrange, which continues northward to Atlanta.

History

The portions of I-185 north of Exit 8 were equipped with call boxes as part of a pilot program in May 1999.^[3] It is currently the only stretch of Interstate Highway in Georgia to be so equipped.^[4]

Future

In 2006, business and government officials in southwest Georgia began a campaign to have the interstate extended to Monticello, Florida, and connect with Interstate 10. The proposed route would run parallel to SR 520 (known as Corridor Z) to Albany, and then parallel to US 19.^[5] Local opposition to the plan soon emerged.^[6] Critics argued that the proposed interstate would siphon business from small towns that the new road bypassed.^[7] In 2009, Georgia's Department of Transportation concluded a two year study of the proposal, which found that extending I-185 would "be inconsistent with existing comprehensive land use plans; would have a negative impact on prime agricultural land, forests and cultural assets; and could have a detrimental impact on poverty and minority populations".^[8] GDOT announced it would instead focus on upgrading and improving other key arterial highways in southwest Georgia, including Georgia 133 between Albany and Valdosta.

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
Muscogee	Columbus	0.00	0.00	–	–	Lindsey Creek Parkway south – Fort Benning	Southern terminus
				1	1	US 27 / US 280 / SR 1 / SR 520 – Columbus, Cusseta, Albany	Split into exits 1A (south / east) and 1B (north / west)
				2	3	St. Marys Road
				3	4	Buena Vista Road
				4	6	SR 22 Spur (Macon Road)
				5	7	US 27 Alt. / SR 85 – Columbus, Manchester	Signed as exits 7A and 7B northbound
				6	8	Airport Thruway – Columbus Airport
				7	10	US 80 / SR 22 (J.R. Allen Parkway) to US 27 – Phenix City
				8	12	Williams Road	Welcome center
				9	14	Smith Road
Harris	Mulberry Grove			10	19	SR 315 – Mulberry Grove	East goes to Cataula and West goes to Piney Grove.
				11	25	SR 116 – Hamilton
	Whitesville			12	30	Hopewell Church Road – Whitesville
				13	34	SR 18 – Pine Mountain, West Point
Troup				14	42	US 27 / SR 1 – Pine Mountain
				15	46	Big Springs Road
				16	50	I‑85 (Georgia State Route 403) – Atlanta, Montgomery	Northern terminus; Exit 21 on I-85.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• Georgia (U.S. state) portal
• U.S. Roads portal

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. "Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
2. Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Transportation Data (2003). "Interstate Mileage Report (438 Report)" (PDF).
3. "Georgia's Call Box Project". Transportation Research Board. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
4. Kolb, Stephanie L.; et al. (2000). "Evaluation of Georgia’s Emergency Motorist Aid Call Box Pilot Project".
5. "New Interstate idea gets mixed reviews".
6. "Thomas County commission against interstate extension". 13 December 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
7. "Thomas County commission against interstate extension". 13 December 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
8. http://www.talltimbers.org/ttnews/news.cfm?news_id=161. Missing or empty |title= (help)