Sometimes, highways that exist in a state end up not exactly following the route that was originally intended for them. Oftentimes, the new route is near to the original route as well. Thus was the case for GA 108. Over time, the odd cluster of routes the highway ended into became the highway itself, while the old route soon after gave way to other highways and county roads. The old route, by far, was very scenic and crossed over Burnt Mountain, which is actually a mountain range that is situated near to the Appalachian Trail and itself is very scenic. The newer route, though far less scenic, goes through the rather peculiar named Waleska serving as a cut-off road northwest of Canton. In all, it is a route that has seen a lot of change over the years.

In the beginning, GA 108 was not really what one would call a major route. In those days, Northern Georgia was in most places very remote with the vast majority of the roads unpaved. In 1940's Pickens County, where GA 108 has been, the only paved roads were the main routes GA 5 and 53 as well as part of GA 156 (now GA 136 Connector). All other roads and highways were unpaved, and rugged GA 108 was no exception.

Early GA 108 from Jasper to GA 52/Cartecay community (1952 GHD Map)

The original GA 108 extended out of Jasper along Burnt Mountain Road, continuing northward through a corner of Dawson County to the Cartecay community in Gilmer County. This was also no easy road to drive featuring 20 miles of gravel road over steep terrain.

GA 108 was extended south of Jasper sometime around 1960 to GA 143 [present-day GA 108] (1962 GHD Map)

By 1956, GA 108 saw its first paved section, extending from Jasper to where the route joined GA 136 on top of Burnt Mountain. This would also be the last section to be paved for many years to come. Around 1960, however, GA 108 was extended southward along present-day Refuge Road from downtown Jasper to GA 143 (present-day GA 108).

After the extension of GA 108 southward, GA 108 pretty much remained unchanged up until 1977, except that the unpaved portion between GA 136 and GA 52 was decommissioned in 1973 or 1974, redesignated as "projected mileage". The "projected mileage" designation effectively absolved the state of responsibility of a gravel road, but kept the road on the books for future paving and reconstruction. Fortunately, this project was finally completed a few years later. The 1972 map below, shows the unpaved portion of GA 108 (and 143) prior to the turnback of the unpaved portions.

Though those changes were notable, it was in 1977 where the changes were made that completely redefined what had been a long-established highway. Those changes resulted in the route there today: one that bears no resemblance to the early highway.

What began the process of change began with factors that at first appeared to be unrelated to the highway itself. Basically it was that several highways in Pickens County existed as fragments, resulting in utter confusion. GA 143, once a continuous highway across a horribly rough mountain road, had been divided in two a couple years earlier, GA 156 had long existed as two fragments and GA 136 also had two disjointed sections. The highway situation was so bizarre that travelers coming out of Tate on GA 143 west suddenly found themselves on GA 156 for no apparent reason, thanks to the decommissioning of the unpaved part of GA 143 over Sharp Mountain. Though the map below still shows GA 143 between GA 108 and GA 53, most of the route is only projected mileage and is not actually a state route save the westernmost three miles.

The transition of GA 108 and other area routes from 1977-1978 (1977 and 1978 GDOT Maps)

In the map above, note the tremendous changes all in one year's time from 1977-1978. Also note that in the second map, GA 108 has been extended along GA 156 all the way into Cherokee County to GA 20, GA 143 is now GA 379 and the remaining portion of GA 143 is now GA 108 Connector. Also note the changes in other area highways, including GA 156 in the northern part of Pickens County that was changed to (and is still) GA 136 Connector. As a side note, I-575 is also making its first appearance on the second map as well, which will replace the two-lane GA 5 by the late 1980's.

During the years of transition, GA 108 enjoyed a period of glory as a long-distance highway stretching through four counties, but that breif period was not to last. As it turned out, GDOT only retained the northern portion of GA 108 to finish the project designated in the early 1970's to pave, reconstruct and relocate GA 108 from GA 136 to GA 52. Remember that the road had already been effectively decommissioned except as projected mileage by 1975.

Note the different alignments of GA 108 (1972 and 1979 GDOT Maps)

From the two maps above, compare the 1972 route to the 1979 route under construction. While the 1972 gravel route was 10 miles long and joined GA 108 further west (that road is now closed), the 1979 route was relocated further east and one mile shorter than the former. This newer route, paved with tar/gravel surface treatment, opened fully in either 1979 or early 1980.

Unfortunately, when the project was complete, the entire portion shown above of GA 108 from Jasper to Cartecay was decommissioned on May 2, 1980. While part of the route was restored as an extended GA 136, the decommissioning of this part of the route, locally known as Burnt Mountain Road (and now as Sunrise Ridge in Pickens County north of GA 136), was the end of the originally highway. Note the relocation of GA 136 and the configuration of GA 108 in the next map, published in 1981 by GDOT.

SR 108 in 1981. Note that SR 108 no longer follows any part of its original alignment. (1981 GDOT Map)

In 1980, with new roads proposed all over the place, one road is gone from the picture: GA 108 north of Jasper. GA 379 (Old GA 143) follows soon after in the start of 1981, but unlike GA 108, the old GA 143 paving and reconstruction is never completed. Also note several other changes in the map including:

• the extension and connection of the two GA 136's, partly following old GA 108
• the addition of GA 382, whose mileage was swapped in part with GA 108 and added the same date that GA 108 was decommissioned
• the Refuge Road portion remained after the 1980 decommissioning, connecting downtown Jasper to GA 108 Connector (now mainline GA 108) to the south

On that last note, despite remaining longer, the Refuge Road portion was soon after decommissioned as well between Jasper and present-day GA 108 on September 14, 1982 as part of the Great Decommissioning of 1982. When the Refuge Road portion went, it completed the transition of GA 108 to a completely different route that remains as such today. In that change, GA 108 Connector respectively became mainline GA 108 as well. This also ended the era of GA 108 in Jasper as well, beginning a new chapter for GA 108 and situating GA 108 entirely along a route once served by other routes, namely GA 143 and 156.

GA 108 today bears no resemblance to the route of yesteryear. Indeed, the present GA 108 is a route of much greater importance as a vital link between Cartersville and Pickens County as well as serving one town, Waleska, and a college, Reinhardt, along its route through Cherokee and Pickens Counties.

The 2001 map below shows the difference of the routes in the area today, including GA 108, in comparison with the various routings shown in the previous sections.

As if GA 108 had not been altered enough, October 17, 2005 brought a new overlap with GA 108 as GA 53 was moved from its former route through Jasper to parts of GA 108 and 515. GA 108 now overlaps part of 53 to Tate to end at GA 53 Business, an arrangement that will likely be dismantled in the future, meaning that 108 will again be truncated to west of Refuge Road, the former 1982 alignment of the route.