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Wikipedia / Interstate 985

Interstate985 (I-985) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in Northeast Georgia. It links the Atlanta metropolitan area to the city of Gainesville via Suwanee. I-985 is also known as the Sidney Lanier Parkway, after the musician and poet, and is also designated as unsigned State Route419 (SR419). The roadway was designated as I-985 in 1985. I-985 and SR 365 are concurrent for I-985's entire length, but only the I-985 signs are displayed. I-985 is also concurrent with US Route 23 (US23) from exit4 northward. I-985 is the highest-numbered spur route of a north–south Interstate and is second only to I-990, which serves the town of Amherst, New York.

Route description

Gwinnett County

In Gwinnett County, I-985 begins concurrent with SR365 at an interchange with I-85 on the southeastern edge of Suwanee. The two highways head northeast to Buford, at an interchange with US 23/SR 20 (Buford Drive). Here, US23 joins the concurrency of I-985/SR365.

Hall County

The three routes head northeast into Hall County until they meet SR 347. In Flowery Branch, they meet Spout Springs Road at the Rankin Smith Interchange, named after the respective businessperson. Then, at exit14 by Martin Road (HF Reed Industrial Pkwy). Then, they enter Oakwood and meet SR 53 (Mundy Mill Road), which does not have any return access from southbound I-985/US23/SR365. Just after, they enter Gainesville, where they intersect SR 13 (Atlanta Highway). Its interchange has access to both SR13 and SR53. Farther into Gainesville is SR 53 Connector (SR53 Conn)/SR 60 (Candler Road/Queen City Parkway). In the main part of the city, US 129/US 129 Business (US129 Bus)/SR 11 (Athens Highway) meet the concurrency. US129/SR11 head south toward Jefferson, while US129 joins the concurrency through the rest of the city. Meanwhile, US129 Bus/SR11 head north into the heart of Gainesville. Nearly later US129 departs to the north with SR 369 on Jesse Jewell Parkway. About later, I-985 ends, while US23/SR365 continue north. Then, US23 enters North Carolina

National Highway System

All of I-985 is included as part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.

History

1920s

The roadway that would eventually become I-985 was built at least as early as 1919 as SR13 from Buford to just northeast of Gainesville, along the same alignment as it runs today. A reconfiguration of the SR13 and SR15 intersection in the Baldwin–Cornelia area caused the two routes to run concurrently between the two cities. By the end of 1926, a small section in Gainesville was paved. By 1929, US23 was designated along the section from Buford to Gainesville.

1930s–1940s

By 1932, US23 was designated along the route all the way to Cornelia. In addition, the entire route, from Buford to the South Carolina state line, was paved. The next month, US23, and possibly SR13 was extended south from Buford. In 1935, after a long series of improvement projects, the section just south of Buford was paved. Between 1946 and 1948, US123 entered the state, being routed on a concurrency with SR13 between Toccoa and the state line. Prior to April 1949, US123's concurrency with SR13 was extended to Cornelia. During this time, US441 was extended along SR15, thus beginning a concurrency with SR13.

1950s–1970s

Between 1955 and 1957, a freeway (presumably I-85) was under construction from northeast Atlanta northeast to Suwannee, paralleling US23/SR13. Between 1957 and 1960, I-85 was completed as far north as what is now known as SR 317, which is located just southwest of what is now the southern terminus of I-985/SR365, and, by 1966, it was completed northeast of Atlanta within the state. In 1966, SR365 was being projected as a freeway from its current southern terminus northeast and curving around the southeastern side of Gainesville. The freeway opened on October 15, 1969. The next year, it was listed as complete on state maps. By 1979, the SR365 freeway was listed as "under construction" from the northern terminus of the freeway northeast to US23/US 441/SR 15 near Cornelia.

1980s–1990s

Between 1980 and 1982, SR365 was extended along the "under construction" section, but it was not a freeway. Also, US23/SR13 from Gainesville to Cornelia were moved onto this new highway. By 1986, the entire freeway segment was designated as I-985.

Exit list

See also

References