Route Information, History and Photo Gallery

The former route of GA 373 covers parts of three different roads in Gordon County: Cash Road, Dews Pond Road and Barrett Road. This 11-mile long route, today uniquely C.R. 373, extends from GA 53 in the Sonoraville community west to GA 156 in Calhoun. The highway crosses I-75, but does not have an interchange with it. Significant suburban development along the road keeps traffic moderate, especially on the western end. It should be noted that even though the main road continues to GA 156 west of U.S. 41, the highway actually turned north from Dews Pond Road onto Barrett Road to end at Redbud Road (GA 156) east of U.S. 41.

History

GA 373 was a short-lived highway, commissioned during the last large state takeover of local roads in 1972. The highway was carved from three county roads with the Dews Pond Road portion the only portion that was truly up to state highway standards. Only five years after it was commissioned in 1977, GA 373 became the victim of a mileage swap within the county due to the westward extension of GA 136 to connect to and take over what was previously GA 143.

Click on either map to view larger image. The first map from 1977 shows GA 373 and area routes. The second map is from 1978, showing all the changes including the decommissioned GA 373. Aside from GA 373, note the extension of GA 136, removal of GA 143 and 143 Connector and the relocation of U.S. 411 that coincided with the turnback of the highway.

The GA 373 portion of Cash Road was rebuilt in 2000 and 2001. This was needed because the former road was substandard, narrow and plagued with maintenance problems from poor design by the county previous to the state takeover. These problems could not be fixed with maintenance alone, so the entire route was overhauled and thus brought up to the same standards as the Dews Pond Road portion, but the side effect of this was that all evidence of state maintenance was removed from that portion. Evidently no plans exist to ever restore the state designation to the highway, however.

Georgia 373 Photo Gallery

All photos below by J.T. Legg. Photos are shown here along the route in a progression from east to west from Sonoraville.
Cash Road today very much looks like a state route except for the lack of signage or state quality signage overall. Although a much better route, the Cash Road portion bears no resemblance to its former configuration and also no longer has any remaining evidence of when it was state controlled. Photo taken December 31, 2005.
Until a year or two ago, these remaining state-issued signs were common on the Dews Pond Road portion. This one, looking westbound, was date stamped on the back as being installed in 1977, the year the highway was turned back to Gordon County. Photo taken December 31, 2005.
Just north of Dews Pond Road is this old trailblazer on Lovers Lane. Another was installed across Dews Pond Road, but was removed recently when new businesses were built there. These were installed here most likely to aid travelers to the nearest interchange from GA 373. Photo taken December 31, 2005.
Here, Dews Pond Road crosses I-75. Note the old-style bridge railing and the state-issued white reflectors installed there to mark the guardrail and approaching bridge abutment. Photo taken December 31, 2005.
Where Barrett Road approaches GA 156, which was the western end GA 373, is this remaining black on white guide sign. While the sign is fully legible in day, it has totally lost its reflectivity. Photo taken September 19, 2004.
Close-up shot of the same sign. Photo also taken September 19, 2004.
On the back of this old-style stop sign is a recent state-issue sign along GA 156 showing that the old route is indeed C.R. 373, the same number as the former highway. Photo taken September 19, 2004.
© 2006 Peach State Roads, a Division of AARoads. All Rights Reserved.