Macon County was one of the big losers in the Great Decommissioning of 1982, and S.R. 214 was one of its casualties. Former S.R. 214 extended from S.R. 26 near Fountainville to S.R. 49 in Oglethorpe. Originally commissioned in 1941, the highway followed two roads, today known as Coogle Road and Macon Street in Oglethorpe. Both are today C.R. 302. Coogle Road is the longest portion, extending six miles from S.R. 26 east to S.R. 90/128. The Macon Street portion joins S.R. 90 slightly south, joining the highway at an acute angle and then running roughly parallel to it. The eastern end of S.R. 214 was Chatham Street (present-day S.R. 49) only a block east of S.R. 90. The Macon Street portion is approximately one mile.

This 1981 map shows S.R. 214, which lasted over 40 years and included two banner routes which are not clearly labeled on this map. It originally served as an alternate route for S.R. 26 prior to the completion of a new S.R. 26 by-pass in 1982.

S.R. 214 also had two banner routes. The first, S.R. 214 By-Pass, followed Keene Avenue south from former S.R. 214 (Coogle Road) to North Randolph Avenue, then followed North Randolph Avenue to Chatham Street (S.R. 49). Then, S.R. 214 By-Pass overlapped with Chatham Street back east to end at Macon Street, which was then the eastern end of S.R. 214. The two streets run west of and parallel to S.R. 90 and combined were about a mile long. S.R. 214 Spur followed Cuyler Street from North Randolph Avenue (S.R. 214 By-Pass) east to Sumter Street (S.R. 90). S.R. 214 Spur was odd in two ways. First, it ran only one block north and parallel to Chatham Street. Second, it did not appear to actually connect to mainline S.R. 214. Neither banner route was shown prior to the 1964 map, but changes in map quality negated whether or not these routes existed prior to 1964.

Note the new location of S.R. 26 and the S.R. 128 By-Pass. Also note the gray line that was S.R. 214. As you can see in these two maps, this was not the only route lost in this area on that October day.

The effect of S.R. 214 and its two banner routes was that every major street in the City of Oglethorpe was a state route. However, the completion of two new by-pass routes west and south of the city resulted in the decommissioning of S.R. 214 and its two banner routes on October 1, 1982. The new by-pass routes included a new location for S.R. 26 and S.R. 128 By-Pass. The new route of S.R. 26 took the highway south of both Oglethorpe and Montezuma, which had previously followed Chatham Street along with S.R. 49. S.R. 128 By-Pass, created a new truck route west of Oglethorpe. Both of these new highways eliminated the need for S.R. 214.

(Click on map to view larger image) This modified GDOT functional classification map was used to show exactly the routes of S.R. 214, 214 Spur and 214 By-Pass in Oglethorpe.

PHOTO GALLERY

All photos taken March 8, 2005.

	This recently-installed street name sign for Coogle Road and C.R. 302 marker on back of the top sign is located at the historic western terminus of the former highway.
	Aside from street name signs, Macon County has largely neglected the maintenance of road signs on their former state highways. This moldy, faded sign dates to when this was still a state highway.