After seven years, the legislatively required feasibility study of I-3 is completed, has been presented to Congress, and is now available for all to read.
The study finds fatal flaws in all of the potential routes through the Southern Appalachians and eliminates all routes as infeasible except for one. That route travels west of Augusta, east of Athens and Gainesville, to Dahlonega and from there into Tennessee. Estimated costs range from $701 million to connect highways with basic two lane roads, to $4.845 billion for an interstate level highway on this route.
The study acknowledges the strong public opposition to building an additional major highway through the Southern Appalachians. Ways South supporters can be proud of their success in stopping this bad idea. WaysSouth would like to thank our supporters for their contributions and advocacy that helped us Stop I-3.
The FHWA reports that there has been no significant feedback from Capitol Hill after the study final report was delivered and that they have closed the budget account. The unspent authorization remains at the US Treasury but cannot be used for anything other than the I-3 study thus making it essentially terminated.