S.R. 64 could reasonably be described as the most volatile highway in the state's history. The changes that occurred along its route over an 80 year period were tremendous, considering that today this is not a major highway. In fact, major highways nearby have taken over substantial parts of the route, threatening what remains.

As stated before, at its peak, the highway existed in three sections that apparently were not joined together along other routes. The highway itself roughly covered a largely remote part of southeastern Georgia extending from east of Claxton near Statesboro to near Valdosta. If the highway could have been connected in a logical sense, the route would have directly connected South Georgia's two major college towns of Valdosta and Statesboro. Perhaps that was the plan, but the execution led to the highway's ultimate demise.

Below is the timeline of the various changes made along the highway since its inception:

1921: S.R. 64 is curiously missing from the centrally-planned new highway system.

Late 20's-1940's: S.R. 64 appears on what had originally been S.R. 32 extending from Baxley to Reidsville. Today, parts of S.R. 121, 144 and 169 follow this route. This section was located in Appling and Tattnall Counties.

1940's: S.R. 64 is relocated along a new alignment through Surrency to meet what was then S.R. 121 (present-day S.R. 15). The old route into Baxley becomes S.R. 144. S.R. 64 is briefly routed into to Glennville in 1946 only to be returned back to its original routing shortly after. The Glennville connection later becomes an extension of S.R. 144.

Also during this time, two new disconnected sections of S.R. 64 are created including a northern section southeast of Claxton on what is now known as Old S.R. 250 and another very lengthy route proposed to connect Alma to Ray City. When completed, the latter route would serve as a direct connection to the county seats of Alma and Pearson as well as by-passing Lakeland to the northwest. In order to connect to Alma, this route included portions in Ware and Bacon Counties that no longer exist today. Both were completely unpaved when first commissioned.

1950: All sections of S.R. 64 are completed and open to traffic. The northern section is paved about four miles from U.S. 341 in Surrency and from the Altamaha River to S.R. 144.

This GHD map from 1952 shows the northern section of S.R. 64 from north of Glennville to east of Claxton. Note S.R. 250 crossing. S.R. 250 eventually took over that part. To the west is the middle section of S.R. 64 (now S.R. 121), which does not appear to connect. Another map here shows its full route.

Also from the 1952 map, this shows the middle section of S.R. 64 extending from S.R. 121 near Bristol extending to S.R. 23 between Reidsville and Glennville. This route later became S.R. 121 with S.R. 15 taking over the former route at the base of the map.

Click on map to view larger image. Again from the 1952 map, the southern section of S.R. 64 extended diagonally from Ray City to Alma, but today this remains only in fragment.

1952: More of S.R. 64 on the middle section is paved or graded with a paved section south of Surrency and between the Altamaha River and S.R. 169. The rest of the route from Surrency to S.R. 144 (the Glennville connection) is graded for paving. Most of S.R. 64 where it passes through Ware County (near the Bickley community) is downgraded to projected mileage, suggesting poor road conditions. That part of the route is in a very swampy area.

1953: Paving is completed from south of Surrency to S.R. 144.

1955: The original (middle) section of S.R. 64 from S.R. 121 to near Reidsville is completely paved.

1956: S.R. 64 from Alma to the present-day dead end near the Bacon County line is paved as well as where the route overlaps with S.R. 168.

1957: The northern section of S.R. 64 located southeast of Daisy is re designated S.R. 250. Ironically, S.R. 250 originally crossed this route. S.R. 250 itself had shifted two times prior to finally taking the place of the northern section of S.R. 64. A small portion of the highway is also paved from the Clinch/Atkinson County line up to about a mile into Atkinson County. The road continues three more miles as a paved local road connecting to nearby U.S. 221 while S.R. 64 turns onto its original unpaved alignment. That connector later will become part of the highway itself. (See below for a map of this.) The 1957 and 1958 maps also show the missing link in Ware County as completed, suggesting a maintenance problem along that stretch that was momentarily resolved.

This 1957 map shows S.R. 250 now along what was S.R. 64. Note that part of S.R. 169 to the west had been part of S.R. 250 briefly and that S.R. 250 in the map shown above of the same road originally crossed the one shown here.

1958: S.R. 64 is paved from S.R. 168 north to the Atkinson County line, joining the previously completed segment.

1959: S.R. 64 is paved for about six miles extending southwest of Pearson leaving an unpaved portion that would never be finished. Paving was finished, however, on what is now the Axson Highway portion in Coffee County south of S.R. 158 to the Atkinson County line. The supposedly complete unpaved portion in Ware County reverts back to projected mileage.

1961: The original section of S.R. 64 is retired in favor of a relocated S.R. 121. The former route of S.R. 121 into Baxley becomes S.R. 15 while S.R. 121 takes over all of S.R. 64 north to Reidsville. More of S.R. 64 is paved from Pearson northeast to past the Satilla River in Atkinson County. Paving is also completed on the southwestern end from Ray City at U.S. 129 to S.R. 135 north of Lakeland.

1962-1971: No further action taken on the completion of the route.

1972: An approximately 9 mile portion of the route in Atkinson County is decommissioned between the fore mentioned local connection to S.R. 64 between the Clinch County line and Pearson. The unpaved gap remains unpaved to this day, and is known as Middle Road (C.R. 237). The rest is Live Oak Church Road (C.R. 243). S.R. 64 in turn is relocated to part of U.S. 221 using the connector road, which today is part of the highway itself.

	Note the bizarre parallel routing of S.R. 64 between Pearson and S.R. 168 and the connector near the Atkinson County line (1972 GHD Map).
	This map, printed a year later shows the relocation along the connector with the subsequent removal of most of the former route. Today, S.R. 64 overlaps 8 miles of U.S. 221 as a result (1973 GDOT Map).

1976: Paving is completed on the section between Pearson and S.R. 158. This part joins present-day Axson Road to Axson Highway straddling the Coffee and Atkinson County lines.

1977: Part of S.R. 64 is relocated in Atkinson County on April 13, 1977, most likely in Pearson. Relocated part of route is unclear.

1980: The missing link in Ware County is the last section incomplete along the route. West of that section to S.R. 158 remains unpaved during this time as well. In lieu of completing the route, the project is instead canceled. This results in the completed portion (now Stock Market Road/Bacon C.R. 343) extending southwest of Alma literally dead-ending about 7 miles southwest of the city. No attempt since that time has been made to complete that part.

	The missing link on S.R. 64 remained for years, and the paving of what is now C.R. 343 apparently included some realignment, because the current road literally dead-ends. Note the unpaved part stretching north of Bickley. It appears several relocations occurred in this area. The other unpaved section west of Axson Highway seen here was paved later the year this map was published (1976 GDOT Map).
	After the highway was removed, S.R. 64 curiously terminated at S.R. 158, even though an extension to Nicholls would have provided the replacement connection to Alma that was lost by the incomplete highway. Also note the completed paving of the section west of Axson Highway, straddling the Coffee/Atkinson County lines (1984 GDOT Map).

In addition, the other remaining unpaved portion between S.R. 135 and S.R. 168 in Lanier and Berrien Counties is decommissioned on February 13, 1980 in favor of an overlap with both routes. That section remains unpaved to this day.

Note the removal of part of S.R. 64 north of Lakeland. This section of highway was never paved, and S.R. 64 traffic was relocated to part of S.R. 135 and along a longer portion of S.R. 168. Also note the confusing fiasco of highways in Lakeland (1976 and 1984 GDOT Maps).

1981-Present: No known changes have occurred along the route, which is now much shorter and severely fragmented.

S.R. 64 MAIN PAGE AND PHOTOS