Peach State Roads - Georgia State Route 244

Travel along S.R 109 west of LaGrange today, and it is readily noticeable that after a few miles, a modern-design highway extends out across West Point Lake. After crossing a couple bridges over the lake that include the channels of the Chattahoochee River and Wehadkee Creek, the road crosses immediately into Alabama. Otherwise, the road itself looks exactly the same as in Georgia.

Upon entering Alabama, it is Chambers C.R. 278. You then cross another bridge over a railroad, and it is noted that it is not only identical in age and design to the previous bridges crossed, but also that it was clearly designed by the Georgia DOT and not by Alabama. This Georgia design in Alabama is attributed to the lake project being managed by the State of Georgia. C.R. 278 curves back gently northward joining a road of older design and build stretching westward to end at U.S. 431 near Roanoke. On the Georgia side, this new route over the lake replaced an older route partially submerged by the lake. This older route was known as S.R. 244.

S.R. 109 today is an important route in this area, but like its predecessor S.R. 244, to all appearances it was never an important route. This is deceptive, though, because actually it is only because Alabama never accepted maintenance of any of the roads entering Alabama between S.R. 34 and U.S. 29. In actuality, S.R. 244 and today S.R. 109 in particular was the most heavily traveled of the three by serving as the principal route connecting fairly populous Roanoke, AL to LaGrange.

HISTORY

Seven-mile long S.R. 244 first arrived in the late 1940's, extending west of a now submerged intersection with what was then S.R. 109. S.R. 244 itself began just west of the Chattahoochee River. S.R. 244 was also likely fully paved upon commissioning, and was for certain in 1950. After 1950, the highway remained largely unchanged until a dramatic event was unfolding, the construction of West Point Lake, which included the flooding of significant portions of the highway. First proposed in 1962, West Point Dam was completed in 1974. As a result, work to replace the highway began less than 15 years after its creation.

S.R. 244 (with S.R. 238) a few years prior to construction of West Point Dam.

S.R. 244, 238 and 109 extend west of LaGrange in different direction on three different routes into Alabama. All enter Alabama as county roads. This 1964 GHD map predates construction of West Point Lake, which was first proposed in 1962.

When the new route was proposed for S.R. 244, adjoining S.R. 109 took a further north alignment than it does today. The lake project was essentially going to require a complete relocation of S.R. 109 due west then along the western side of the Chattahoochee River portion of the lake. From there, the relocated S.R. 109 would turn north to rejoin the former highway, which is today Antioch Road (C.R. 391). The old route of S.R. 109 was more of a diagonal route, while the new route took S.R. 109 nearly into Alabama before turning north on what is today Rock Mills Road.

During the relocation project, the new route was designated S.R. 701 and S.R. 701 Spur simultaneously with S.R. 701 following S.R. 244 to the south. This was likely the first or second instance a temporary highway number was assigned to a new road projects in Georgia: a practice continued today. While most of S.R. 701 was new alignment, part followed what is today Pyne Road (C.R. 404) west of Vernon Ferry Road (the original S.R. 109, now C.R. 400). When work was complete on the new road, S.R. 109 was relocated to this new route and S.R. 244 was decommissioned soon after. This was ironic on account that part of this new route along Rock Mills Road had previously been a short segment of S.R. 244.

West of Rock Mills Road, the remainder of the new route became S.R. 109 Spur. This meant that when S.R. 244 was flooded, instead of S.R. 244 moving to the new route, S.R. 109 would follow part of the route to skirt the flooded older part with the remainder designated as a banner route of S.R. 109 in lieu of a shorter S.R. 244 on new location.

S.R. 701 and S.R. 701 Spur are proposed paralleling S.R. 244 and west of S.R. 109.

In 1971, S.R. 701 and S.R. 701 Spur first appeared on the state map as proposed routes. This 1973 GHD map shows the proposed locations of these routes, which will soon replace part or all of the highways shown west of U.S. 27 and U.S. 29. Note that S.R. 244 is essentially being relocated south while S.R. 109 is moved further west. However, S.R. 238 does not have a replacement route proposed.

West Point Lake began filling in 1974 with all changes effectively made official to the highways around West Point Lake on November 13, 1975. It was on that day that S.R. 244 officially died and the relocated S.R. 109 took its place. Today, the former route of S.R. 244 is split into a half-dozen sections with one of those only accessable from the Alabama side via the old route of present-day Chambers C.R. 278. East of the Chattahoochee River, the roadway completely disappeared under the lake with one exception.

It appears for a short time that S.R. 701 and the former routes co-existed prior to the filling of the lake.

In 1974 and 1975, it appears that the former S.R. 244, 238 and old alignment of S.R. 109 may have co-existed with the not-yet-signed S.R. 701. S.R. 701 was completed in 1974, but both the 1974 and 1975 maps (this map is from 1975) showed the new and old highways co-existing with definite mileage. Note that a major county road south of Abbottsford was submerged as well.

Since these older alignments go by several names, the former route today will be listed here from west to east. First, C.R. 386, which is located west of Wehadkee Creek, is only accessable from Alabama (the old route continues west as Chambers C.R. 283). It and Chambers C.R. 288 both provide access today to the community of Evansville, which is no longer connected to the rest of Georgia. Second, Holliday Road (C.R. 387) is inbetween Wehadkee Creek to the west and Rock Mills Road to the east. Third, the former Rock Mills overlap itself is now C.R. 680 and previouisly was the former S.R. 109 relocation. The relocated S.R. 109 was decommissioned in 1985. Fourth, Old School Road (C.R. 392) accesses the community of Abbottsford west of the Chattahoochee River from Rock Mills Road. Finally, east of the Chattahoochee River, one road numbered C.R. 517 apparently is part of the former route, but it dead-ends into the lake on both ends and crosses Gene Autry Road (C.R. 24). From all appearances this road was brought back into use to facilitate development around the lake. This section is accessable from Gene Autry Road, which itself looks like it could have been part of the highway but never was. All of the former highway east of C.R. 517 to the intersection of S.R. 109 is now completely underwater.

S.R. 244 is gone in 1981, but S.R. 109 was allowed to remain on a new location with S.R. 109 Spur taking over the rest of S.R. 244.

In 1981, S.R. 244 and 238 are gone and S.R. 109 has been replaced with a route that is four miles longer. That road is known today as Rock Mills Road and was decommissioned in 1985. When Rock Mills Road was decommissioned, the route was moved to what is here S.R. 109 Spur. The result was that S.R. 109 ultimately was the replacement route for S.R. 244. Note Evansville and Abbottsford to the north of the route. This map is also false showing no connection of the Evansville road to S.R. 109 Spur.

All that is left after the 1980's is S.R. 109, which ultimately replaced just S.R. 244.

This map in 1997 shows the connection to the former Alabama side of S.R. 244. The road in Alabama is today known as Chambers C.R. 278. While this map suggests that S.R. 109 is not an important route since the changes, this is actually a heavily traveled route connecting Roanoke, AL to LaGrange. This map has not changed since this time.

In all, S.R. 244 and its associated routes S.R. 109 and S.R. 238 are a showcase of how dramatic a reservoir project is to the local community. It was one of three highways, along with several main county roads, that were permanently flooded resulting in not only new highways, but also permanently lost land connections within the state as well as a significant amount of land now underwater. Nevertheless, S.R. 244 never really died, it just got a replacement equivalent with a different number.

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