Georgia State Route 82

One of the oddest routes in Georgia, GA 82 wiggles its way north from Winder to GA 323 between Gainesville and Gillsville. Extending for 36 miles, GA 82 is actually much more important sounding than it actually is in reality. At least GA 82 includes three incorporated cities on its crooked course: Jefferson, Winder and Arcade. The route otherwise serves as a backcountry alternative to GA 11, which partly follows U.S. 129 in the region. GA 82 is found in Jackson, Barrow and Hall Counties in the northeastern part of the state. The highway also overlaps with parts of GA 15 Alt and U.S. 129 Business in Jefferson.

Additionally, GA 82 is joined by one banner route, GA 82 Connector. Five-mile GA 82 Connector had been GA 82 Spur, but was altered in 2003 with all signs replaced. The Connector joins GA 82 in the Dry Pond community to GA 98 in Maysville and is located entirely in Jackson County. GA 82 Connector crosses I-85, but has no interchange.

Despite the longevity of GA 82, will the future see GA 82 lasting? When studying the map, it is evident that 82 is a rather poorly laid out highway. Highways like GA 98 could be relocated and extended over most of it while the portion west of I-85 could just as easily be fully decommissioned or redesignated as part of recommissioned GA 346. Though the route has some benefit to Jefferson, the highway is overall an oddity in the scope of the state highway system. How it developed is even stranger, which is discussed in the history of the route below.

A few times in the history of highways in the state, a particular route and route number gets used more than once at the same time for different routes. Such was the case with GA 82. One thing that did remain constant about GA 82 was that it was always a highway in northeastern Georgia. Other than that, it took four tries to establish GA 82 where it is today. In addition to that, the number was obviously of such a demand that two unrelated and disconnected sections of GA 82 existed at the same time for a number of years.

Needless to say, GA 82 did not start out where it ended up. In fact, the route is overall of local importance other than the major-sounding number. As if that is not enough of an issue, it is also is one of several state routes in Georgia that share the same number with a U.S. route within the same state.

The beginnings of GA 82 were on what is today GA 72 running from current U.S. 29 northeast of Athens to current GA 98 in Comer. At the time, GA 72 was located on what is now GA 36. Inversely, GA 36 ran along most of what is now GA 72 and GA 98 with GA 82 assuming the remaining portion of GA 72 west of current GA 98. Since explaining that is terribly confusing, a shorter way to explain it is that current GA 72 originally included GA 82 and 36. The map below shows this.

The original GA 82 between Athens and Elberton. Note that GA 36 and GA 82 make up what is now GA 72 (1933 SHD of GA Map).

By the 1940's, GA 36 and GA 72 were relocated to the routes they still follow today, resulting in the first relocation of GA 82. The new GA 82 would follow a new route into South Carolina beginning north of Elberton and extending northeast from GA 77 into South Carolina as SC 184. This route is today known as GA 368, but that change to GA 368 did not occur until around 1970. What was interesting was that around the same time GA 82 was designated along that route, a second and totally unrelated GA 82 appeared to the west.

The western leg of GA 82 was a strange route indeed, eventually forming an almost complete semicircle east of GA 11. The first part to be designated extended from GA 11 in Winder east to U.S. 129 in Arcade. Most of it was unpaved with only a stretch from Winder east to an indefinite point fully paved. By 1952, more of the route was paved from GA 211 east to U.S. 129, leaving only a stretch from GA 211 west to the paved part in Winder. That remaining section was not fully paved until 1965.

Meanwhile, in 1960 the western leg of GA 82 was extended north to Maysville. The road from Jefferson to Maysville had appeared on maps earlier and logically would have completed the extension of GA 82, but nothing about GA 82 was ever logical.

When GA 82 was extended north to Maysville, it was joined by its first banner route, GA 82 Spur, extending west to the Holly Springs community ending at what is today Lipscomb Lake Road in Jackson County instead of the Hall County line. This banner route, part of current GA 82, not only ended at a strange location, but realistically could have been part of now decommissioned GA 346, making the spur designation for GA 82 even stranger.

It is not clear why GA 82 Spur ended where it did, especially with a paved road shown extending to GA 323. What is known is that in 1966, GA 82 was swapped with GA 82 Spur in a bizarre move that apparently related mostly to the fact that GA 82 Spur and not mainline GA 82 had an interchange at I-85, which opened in the area the year before. The swap of the routes also resulted in the extension of what had been GA 82 Spur along the rest of Holly Springs Road to end at GA 323. Also a result of the switch, GA 82 did not directly go from Jefferson to Maysville anymore.

Not long after the GA 82 route was finalized, the last changes included the previously stated recommissioning of the eastern leg of GA 82 to GA 368 and the 2003 banner switch that resulted in GA 82 Spur becoming GA 82 Connector. No other changes have occured since that time.

Georgia 82 Termini Gallery

Included in this termini gallery is GA 82 Connector. All photos below by J.T. Legg.

Georgia 82 Ends Photos

Southern Terminus: GA 11/53/211 in Winder

Photo 1: End signage assembly. Note that U.S. 11 somehow popped up in Winder. Photo 2: Northbound direction assembly with old-style shields. Photo 3: First northbound reassurance shield. Photo 4: Junction assembly northbound with guide sign in photo. All photos taken December 27, 2004.

Northern Terminus: GA 323 between Gainesville and Gillsville

The first photo is the northbound end signage. Photos 2 and 3 are looking eastbound on GA 323 with the LGS included in the first shot. The directional assembly and first reassurance shield were both missing. All photos taken August 21, 2004.

Georgia 82 Connector Ends Photos

Southern Terminus: GA 82 in the Dry Pond community north of Jefferson

Photo 1: End signage southbound; Photo 2: Assembly on GA 82 northbound facing GA 82 Connector northbound; Photo 3: Junction assembly on GA 82 northbound; Photo 4: LGS approaching GA 82 Connector on GA 82 northbound. The first reassurance shield was missing. All photos taken August 21, 2004.

Northern Terminus: GA 98 in Maysville

Photos: Assembly looking westbound on GA 98 into Maysville; Junction assembly looking eastbound on GA 98. End signage and the first reassurance shields were both missing. All photos taken August 21, 2004.