Route Information, History, Photo and Termini Gallery

Lincoln County's very own state highway exists primarily to tie together several rural communities in the county with a state route, including Woodlawn, Kenna and New Hope. The eastern portion of the route also provides access to Clarks Hill Lake. The highway also provides a means to by-pass Lincolnton on the southeast and southwest.

GA 220 has four directional changes. This was due to the fact the highway was added along parts of several pre-existing county roads, forming an arc south of U.S. 378 extending 18.5 miles.

History

GA 220 first appeared in the early to mid 1940's and was originally commissioned as an unpaved route extending from GA 43 eastward and back around to GA 43 southeast of Lincolnton. GA 43 to the east was soon after was also commissioned as U.S. 378. By 1953, the route was extended not as loop for GA 43, but for U.S. 378. Thus, the highway was extended a couple miles further west to end at U.S. 378/GA 47 as it does still today.

By 1954, GA 220 gained a banner route, GA 220 Spur. GA 220 Spur was part of Double Branches Road, and was unique in that it was fully paved upon commissioning while the mainline GA 220 was still completely unpaved. Interestingly enough, the first section of mainline GA 220 that was paved did not touch GA 220 Spur. The section that first was paved was completed by 1957 between the Woodlawn community and GA 47 in the New Hope community. Additional paving of the roadway was not completed until around 1961, but all paving of the route was fully completed in 1962, leaving no remaining unpaved state route mileage in Lincoln County with exception to a now-decommissioned spur of GA 44 in the northeastern corner of the county.

GA 220 and GA 220 Spur shortly before it was decommissioned (1997 GDOT Map)

When all paving was complete, GA 220 remained unchanged for 36 years, but in 1997 that changed when GA 220 Spur was decommissioned, restoring Double Branches Roads to full county maintenance along the entire route. GA 220 Spur was a pointless route that served mostly local traffic. No changes have occured since that time, however.

Georgia 220 Termini Gallery

All photos below by J.T. Legg taken July 13, 2005.
Pictured here is the intersection of GA 220 and GA 47 in New Hope. There isn't too much here.
There is no coincidence here.
In Woodlawn where GA 220 switches direction, this jewel of an assembly still stands on the county road that continues straight ahead: an old-style white guide sign with Georgia's distinct "County Maintained" signs and an older county road number sign. The county road sign shows what was at least at the time the Federal-Aid Secondary number preceeded by a "9" instead of an "S". Since this is not the county road number, the mystery of these signs is still not explicable.
Georgia 220 Termini Gallery

All photos below by J.T. Legg taken July 13, 2005.

Western Terminus: U.S. 378/GA 47 southwest of Lincolnton

Photos here include ends assembly, directional assembly on eastbound U.S. 378, first reassurance shield and junction assembly on westbound U.S. 378. Note the striking similarities to the photos below.
Eastern Terminus: U.S. 378/GA 43 northeast of Lincolnton near the South Carolina border
Photos of the eastern end of GA 220 are like seeing double of the western end. The first photo is of the ends signage, which is incomprehensably ugly and unprofessional looking at best. The font for U.S. 378 looks to be condensed arial. The second photo is looking eastbound on U.S. 378. The third photo is the first westbound reassurance shield, and the final photo is another unsightly junction assembly looking eastbound on U.S. 378.
Related Links

Here are links related to sites and information on or near GA 220:
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