Roads and rails could bring boom along US 341

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By Dal Cannady - bio | email

JESUP, GA (WTOC) - Only a ribbon cutting could stop traffic in the middle of US 341 after years of orange barrels and roadway construction.

Folks from Middle Georgia to the coast gathered in Appling County's town of Surrency to celebrate the end of the 10 year widening project. They each hoped the extra lanes bring more business to their communities.

"Having a 4 lane highway for goods, transportation, better access to markets, ports in Brunswick," explained Nathan Sparks of the Glynn County Development Authority and the 341 Alliance.

The road was once a 2 lane nightmare for truck drivers or if you were a tourist on the way to the coast. The road now doubles as an additional hurricane evacuation route. Besides industry, governor Sonny Perdue told those at the celebration more trucks and more motorists could bring more retail businesses with them.

A few minutes and miles later, the governor helped flip the switch on a new 2 mile stretch of parallel rail in Wayne County. Norfolk Southern's 20 year local lease will help repay the grant money that built it.

"It increases the flow of traffic from Brunswick to Atlanta exponentially and it's going benefit us, Norfolk Southern and the Joint Development Authority," explained Wayne County Commissioner James Thompson.

The passing side rail is only the second place between Brunswick and Atlanta that can handle 2 trains at once. That means the company can increase traffic of freight from the ports to Atlanta, the Midwest and beyond.

"This passing rail actually helps free up traffic congestion in Atlanta," said governor Perdue. "It is hard to convince people up there of this, but it is true."

Governor Perdue said neither project is an industry itself. But both could be the path for more jobs to a once sleepy region.

"The dividends pay off year after year through the economic growth in the communities, growth in the Southeast Georgia region," he assured.