Georgia Department of Transportation 
 
Central Georgia Corridor Study 
HPC6 and US 280 
 
No. 2 Capitol Square Atlanta, GA 30334-1002 
Robert Hughes Phone: 404-657-6699 
Fax: 404-657-5228 Email: 
robert.hughes@dot.state.ga.us 
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Economic Tidbits of the Central Georgia Corridor 
 
The Phase I study brought out the following bits of interesting information regarding the Central Georgia Corridor: 
The 1998 unemployment rate was 6.18% -- higher than the national and state of Georgia averages. Economic forecasts underscore the need for positive actions - including transportation and communication investments - to encourage job retention and growth.  Among the various classes of manufacturing, the highest employment is in food, textiles, paper, lumber and transportation equipment.  The 2025 economy will continue to be anchored by services, government and retail trade, but there will continue to be a diverse range of freight-generating industries as well.  Freight-dependent industries that are expected to grow include agricultural/forest/fisheries, services 
 
and construction.  Most freight-dependent industries are actually forecast to lose employment.  Food, transportation equipment, lumber, paper and textiles will continue to lead in terms of job creation.  Manufacturing employment in the study area is forecast to decline by 10,355 jobs by 2025 in the areas of apparel, textiles, electrical equipment, tobacco and paper.  Projected higher output reflects increasing productivity per employee. Certain industries in apparent decline based on the employment data will actually increase their output substantially.  The corridor's diversified manufacturing sectors will actually increase their need for, and dependence on, transportation and communications infrastructure within the study area. 
 
...keeping business moving in Georgia 
 
Freight Receivers, Shippers 
and Carriers are Heard 
Encouraging business to locate within the Central Georgia Corridor study area is vital to its economic health. The freight movers view transportation system improvements to the U.S. 280 Corridor and High Priority Corridor Six (HPC6) as one of the key components to maintaining the competitiveness of Central Georgia. The "major users" of the system (shippers, receivers and carriers) were interviewed and expressed appreciation for the ongoing effort to upgrade many rural roads. They appreciated the responsiveness of the Georgia DOT and the positive action by Chambers of Commerce to actively attract new business to the area. 
Seventy-six interviews were conducted to fully understand business location decisions, freight operations in the study area and to guide the study team in identifying the daily problems encountered by users of the Corridor. 
Twenty-six intersections were noted for improvement, the I-16/I-75 interchange in Macon was mentioned most frequently. 
Congestion was cited along U.S. 280 in the Port of Savannah, and along U.S. 80/SR 96 Dublin to Columbus. Eleven roads were cited as "problematic", with U.S. 80/SR 96 being mentioned marginally more frequently than U.S. 280. Bridges mentioned as needing replacement or rehabilitation included U.S. 441 north of U.S. 280 at McRae, SR 153 between Preston and Friendship, SR 19 north of Glenwood, SR 27 near Sanford, U.S. 280 east of Dumas, and U.S. 280 identified only as "in Wilcox County". Four-lane improvements of the rural highway network were mentioned by many of the major users. Improvements along U.S. 280 were noted, including widening to four lanes. Bypasses were among the needs cited including bypassing the I-16/I-75 interchange at Macon on SR 96. 
 
March 2002 Volume 1, Issue 2 
 
In this issue: 
 
Major Users Heard 
 
1 
 
Accessibility & Viability 2 
 
Economics & Performance 3 
 
Corridor Tidbits 
 
4 
 
 Transportation Accessibility and Economic Viability 
 
Matching the Region's Economics with the Transportation System's Performance 
 
Transportation infrastructure influences, but is not wholly responsible for, economic growth. Understanding 
 
the role transportation, social and economic factors play in 
 
economic development is a critical component to the 
 
Central Georgia Corridor Study. 
 
The Georgia Rural Development Council (GRDC) 
 
recommends that infrastructure investment strategies be 
 
based on the economic status or condition of each county in 
 
Georgia. To maximize the economic benefits, key 
 
infrastructure investment would be focused in areas with 
 
emerging 
 
or 
 
growing 
 
economies, with a strong 
 
emphasis on areas with 
 
transportation infrastructure 
 
needs. In areas with lagging or 
 
declining economies, GRDC 
 
recommends better connection 
 
to "regional growth engines", 
 
cities such as Columbus, 
 
Warner Robins, Macon and 
 
Savannah, along with 
 
concentrating on other 
 
socioeconomic 
 
strategies. 
 
Matching 
 
transportation 
 
accessibility and economic 
 
status provides the study team a 
 
way to focus transportation 
 
infrastructure investment where 
 
it is needed the most. 
 
A simplified explanation of the conclusions in the Central Georgia Corridor Study can best be demonstrated 
by understanding the following:  EVI is the Economic Vitality Index developed by the GRDC. A county can be one of the following - a growing, emerging, declining or lagging growth area.  TAI is the Transportation Accessibility Index, determined by transportation facilities in a county roads, airports, freight terminals and rail - and can be classified as Excellent, Good, Average, Low and Poor. 
When these two are measured and brought together, decisions about transportation investment can be considered in a new light. A county with a good (growing or emerging) economy and poor transportation access would be an excellent candidate for transportation improvements. Conversely, a county with a poor economy and high access may not need additional investments in transportation but may rather focus on other economic or social issues constraining growth and development. The maps included in this article highlight the study team findings. This information will be used throughout the study to assist in identifying transportation needs that fit best with the GRDC recommendations. 
 
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To fully understand the region's transportation 
 
system now and in the future, it is important to understand 
 
the Central Georgia Corridor region's economics. The 
 
demographic and economic vitality data available on the 
 
corridor suggests that economic development is needed. 
 
With isolated exceptions, the forty-five counties within the 
 
corridor lag well behind the performance of the northern 
 
half of the state on the economic forefront. 
 
The economic data presented in the Phase 1 Report 
 
has a critical relationship with freight movement data in 
 
the HPC6 and U.S. 280 corridors. Regional economics 
 
and transportation infrastructure influence how freight 
 
flows through the study area. Economic forecasts are used 
 
to generate estimates of how future commodities will be 
 
transported over the transportation system. Using this 
 
information, transportation system deficiency - such as too 
 
few lanes, unsafe intersections - are 
 
easily identified. Through this 
 
process potential transportation 
 
system deficiencies can be 
 
identified and solutions can be 
 
encouraged as a matter of policy. 
 
Phase 1 of the study 
 
integrated a detailed assessment of 
 
regional economics, freight flows 
 
and transportation system 
 
performance to understand the 
 
economic and transportation system 
 
interrelationships and also potential 
 
system deficiencies. As highlighted 
 
in the accompanying map, a simple 
 
"corridor" type of movement from 
 
one point to another does not 
 
dominate freight movement in the 
 
study area. Rather it is a complex 
 
set of flows with distinctly different 
 
purposes. 
 
Secondary traffic 
 
principally associated with 
 
warehousing and distribution of a 
 
variety of commodity types is the 
 
predominant freight traffic in the 
 
study area. Other categories show highly diversified types of commodity movements. 
Findings of the transportation system performance evaluation in the Phase 1 Report are based on objective performance measures for congestion, safety, and accessibility. Existing congestion problems are almost exclusively within metropolitan counties, with concentrations in cities and towns and at select rural intersections. Road segments with accident rates that are well above the statewide average exist throughout the study area. Trucks handled approximately 75 percent of the tonnage, rail moved 24 percent and air cargo accounted for approximately one percent. This information will help guide the study team in defining potential system deficiencies and addressing transportation needs throughout the study area. 
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