Interstate 59 (I-59) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs 445.23 miles (716.53 km) from Slidell, Louisiana to near Wildwood, Georgia. In the U.S. state of Georgia, I-59 travels 20.67 miles (33.27 km) from the Alabama state line south of Rising Fawn to its northern terminus at I-24 near Wildwood, entirely within Dade County in the far northwest corner of the state. Most of I-59's route passes through rural and mountainous terrain, with the only city it serves being Trenton.[4] Although the Interstate does not connect with it, I-59 parallels the older U.S. Route 11 (US 11) corridor for its remaining length with indirect access via certain interchanges. Beyond I-59's northern terminus into Tennessee, I-81 takes over its role as the parallel Interstate Highway for US 11, and is connected to I-59 via I-24, I-75, and I-40. For internal Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) purposes, I-59 carries the hidden designation of unsigned State Route 406 (SR 406).[5][6]
Of the four states which I-59 traverses, the segment in Georgia is the second-shortest, behind the Louisiana segment. First signed into the system in 1957, the original segment of I-59 to be added into Georgia was an 8.1-mile (13.0 km) segment from the Alabama state line to Trenton, opened in 1968. The second and final segment with a length of 11.8 miles (19.0 km), connecting Trenton to I-24, was finished in 1971, filling the rest of the route in.
Route description
Like all other Interstate, U.S., and state highways in Georgia, I-59 is a part of the National Highway System for its entire length in the state.[7] The Interstate carries one of the lowest amounts of annual average daily traffic, with the highest amount in 2023 being approximately 22,100 vehicles at the I-24 interchange.[8] The lowest amount was approximately 15,200 vehicles near the Alabama state line.[8]
I-59 enters Dade County, Georgia, from DeKalb County, Alabama, into the Eastern Time Zone. From here, it becomes parallel with US 11. Unusually, I-59 does not have a rest area for travelers coming into the state compared to other Interstates.[9] Skirting along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I-59 makes a gradual curve to the north and runs along the slopes of Fox Mountain. It then curves slightly northwest and reaches its first interchange with Deer Head Cove Road at milepost 4, providing access to Rising Fawn and a small sprinkle of development. Turning back north and then to the northeast, I-59 crosses the Crawfish Creek before curving slightly northeast and then north again. The Interstate passes the Southeast Lineman Training Center as it enters the city of Trenton. Entering small amounts of development again, I-59 reaches its next interchange with SR 136 (White Oak Gap Road) for downtown Trenton as well as access to the welcome center and Cloudland Canyon State Park.[10][11] The Interstate bypasses Trenton to the west and immediately crosses Town Creek leaving the interchange.[12][13]
I-59 passing below Sand Mountain near Trenton
From here, I-59 turns northeast again, leaving Trenton and entering rural areas once more. It makes a brief curve north and slightly descends the incline. It crosses two streams in brief succession before turning northeast once again, curving along the slopes of Sand Mountain, and reaching its final interchange with Slygo Road and the unincorporated community of New England at a diamond interchange. Continuing in the northeast direction, I-59 approaches Slygo Valley, paralleling Slygo Road to the east of it for a couple more miles whilst passing underneath Dugan Loop Road. Before long, I-59 slowly descends once again into the bottom of Raccoon Mountain and the foothills of Lookout Mountain where it reaches its northern terminus at a full wye interchange with I-24, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee.[12][13]
History
I-59 was part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the program which designated the Interstate Highways around the nation. Its proposed route was to run roughly the same as it is today, from the Alabama state line to Trenton.[2] On January 17, 1963, the federal government would pay approximately $94 million of the costs launched in the Highway Act by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to link all of the cities in the nation with Interstate Highways. Of these projects, one of them included the stretch of I-59 from the Alabama state line to Trenton, at a distance of approximately 11.38 miles (18.31 km) was under construction. This stretch had a cost of approximately $6.3 million and an estimated completion date of two years later.[14]
1955 proposed routing for the Interstate Highways through Chattanooga. I-59 is located all the way on the bottom left of the image.
On December 22, 1967, GDOT announced that a contract would be let on February 9, 1968, to complete I-59 through the state. This contract would provide construction of 11.38 miles (18.31 km) of grading, drainage, and bridges along I-59. Emory C. Parrish, executive assistant to the director, said that the project would be the last link to I-59, part of the route from Birmingham, Alabama, to Chattanooga. The route was not considered important, but due to the Bureau of Public Roads persuading them, it was required to be built. The project had an estimated cost of approximately $9.8 million.[15] On September 10, 1968, the interchange with I-24, where I-59 would end, was completed. Also, an 8.1-mile (13.0 km) section of I-59 was opened to traffic from the SR 143 (now SR 136) interchange to I-24, raising the number of miles in Georgia's Interstate system to 612 miles (985 km) that were open to traffic.[16] On May 21, 1970, the State Highway Department announced that bids for an estimated amount of $18.1 in construction would be let on May 29. Of these bids, $11.3 million was also scheduled to include the last section of I-59.[17] On October 25, 1971, the State Highway Department announced that the last 11.8-mile (19.0 km) section of the Interstate Highway through Dade County was finished and opened to traffic, completing the Georgia segment of I-59 as a whole.[18]
