The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is moving forward with plans to create interstate lanes designated solely for commercial vehicles on I-75.
According to GDOT, the truck-only lane project would be the first of its kind in the U.S. The department plans to hire a general engineering consultant by the end of 2018 to manage the project development and seek public input during the environmental process, with construction beginning in 2025.
Two commercial-vehicle-only lanes would be added to northbound I-75/475 from Macon to McDonough, southeast of Atlanta, at a cost of $1.8 billion. The 40 miles of non-tolled lanes would have their own entrances and exits, and be separated from the regular travel lanes by a barrier. GDOT estimates the lanes will reduce delays 40% on I-75 North in 2030.
GDOT reportedly chose the location of the lanes because of the heavy truck traffic coming from the Port of Savannah and from trucks entering the state delivering products. GDOT expects truck traffic to double by 2040 on the busy I-75 North corridor, as the Port of Savannah continues to expand.
GDOT says the lanes will have fewer entrance and exit points than regular lanes and will not affect exits and entrances for noncommercial traffic. Access points for the commercial lanes are still being considered. Funding for the lanes comes from the $11 billion Major Mobility Investment Program funded by the state legislature in 2015.
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Source: Equipment World's Better Roads
