The Federal Highway Administration initially considered four general corridors for I-3, as shown on the map below, along with a number of short links between each of the main corridors. Below the map are text descriptions of each of the major corridors.
..
.
Corridor A
- From Savannah, west on I-16
- North on US 25/301 through Statesboro, to Millen and Waynesboro
- North of Waynesboro, west and north on new alignment to I-20 west of Fort Gordon, near Thomson
- Northwest on US 78 Corridor to Athens
- New alignment around Athens
- North on US 441 corridor to north of Commerce
- West on new alignment to Dahlonega
- West on Georgia 52 corridor along the southern boundary of the Chattahoochee National Forest to Ellijay
- West and north on US 76 corridor to Chatsworth
- North on US 411 along the eastern side of the Chattahoochee National Forest, into Tennessee, and to the intersection with US 64
- North on new alignment from US 64 to I-75 near Etowah
- Northeast on I-75 into Knoxville
Corridor B
- From Savannah, northwest along Georgia 21/Savannah River Parkway to Millen
- US 25 north to Waynesboro
- North of Waynesboro, new alignment to I-20 west of Fort Gordon, near Thomson
- US 78 north to near Washington
- East of Washington, new alignment northwards, roughly following Georgia 17 past I-85 and to US 23
- US 23/441 north through the Chattahoochee and Nantahala National Forests to Franklin, North Carolina
- NC 28 westward to several existing narrow two lane roads thorugh the Nantahala National Forest to US 129
- US 129 (the Tail of the Dragon) thorugh the Nantahala National Forest and along the western border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then to Maryville
- I-140 to Knoxville
Corridor C
- From Savannah, either Corridor A or B to just north of Waynesboro
- North on US 25 to southern Augusta
- West and north on new alignment creating a western bypass of Augusta, to US 221 near the Georgia/South Carolina border
- North on US 221 through the Sumter National Forest to Greenwood, SC
- Northwest on US 178 to Honea Path, SC
- North on new alignment to I?85 between Greenville and Anderson, SC, then to near the US 178/US 123 intersection
- North on US 178 across the North Carolina/South Carolina state line to Rosman, NC, along the eastern edge of the Nantahala National Forest
- North on SR 215 through the Nantahala National Forest to the Blue Ridge Parkway
- Northwest along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cherokee, NC
- Northwest on US 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Gatlinburg
- Northwest on new alignment to I-40
- West on I-40 to Knoxville
Corridor D
- From Savannah, north on I?95 into South Carolina to US 321
- North on US 321 to I?26 south of Columbia, SC
- Northwest on I-26 to just south of Asheville, NC to an undetermined transition to US 25
- North on US 25 to Newport, TN
- West on I-40 to Knoxville