Atlanta's Superbelt
First off, Atlanta has some of the worst congestion problems in America. During the morning and evening rush hours, the freeway system gets turned into one big parking lot. In my opinion, Atlanta is the "Los Angeles of the South," and if you factor in the I-285 Perimeter, you can call it "DC South." The Perimeter is just as bad as the I-495 Capital Beltway around Washington, if not worse than that.
Second, I believe the Superbelt, as I call it, would relieve some of that bad traffic in and around the ATL. This 253-mile highway, which I've designated I-685, would help out a great deal for anyone who doesn't wish to go into town. It would also provide a great alternative route to truckers who hate sitting in all that traffic. And, best of all, the existing freeways (I-85, I-75, I-20, I-285, and I-675) would see improved traffic flow, with far less serious congestion.
The Superbelt came from an idea shared by many of my fellow roadgeeks who've envisioned a big ring highway going around Atlanta. Raleigh is planning a road similar to this. Houston already has one, albeit a tolled non-Interstate freeway (Loop 8). Cincinnati has been considering a second beltway (I-875, perhaps?), and the one around Nashville is halfway done. So why not Atlanta? We could certainly use one down here, too.
Without further ado, I present to you the exit list for Interstate 685, Atlanta's Superbelt. I've placed Mile 0 at the Superbelt's junction with I-85, northeast of Atlanta. The road will connect to Cartersville, Carrollton, Newnan, Griffin, and Covington, to name a few. (Oh, and I've signed it as Inner and Outer.) Just click on the "Let's Drive!" link below to view the exits for the Superbelt. I guarantee you'll love this idea!
Other Friends' Interstates
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Tony's Links