Special routes of U.S. Route 129

Several special routes of U.S. Route 129 exist, most of which are in the state of Georgia. In order from south to north they are as follows.

Current routes

Hawkinsville business route

U.S. Route 129 Business in Hawkinsville, Georgia begins on Georgia State Route 26 and runs west until it branches off to the northwest across from Warren Street. It also runs in a concurrency with US Business 341 and GA Business Route 11.

Hawkinsville–Macon alternate

U.S. Route 129 Alternate is a long alternate route that runs from Hawkinsville, Georgia to Macon, Georgia, via Cochran

The route begins at Jackson Street in a wrong way concurrency with U.S. Route 341/Georgia State Route 27 These route are also joined by SR 26/SR 112/SR 257 and SR 230. Two blocks to the east, all the routes split into a one-way pair before it crosses a pair of bridges over the Ocmulgee River. Approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) later, the road enters Hartford where SR 230 departs to the south-southeast on Lower River Road, US 341/SR 27 travel to the southeast on Eastman Highway, and US ALT 129 turns nearly due north on Cochran Highway along with SR 26/SR 112/SR 257. About 100 feet (30 m) later, they begin to curve to the northeast and pass northwest of the Hawkinsville–Pulaski County Airport. The concurrency begins a curve to a more north-northeast routing, and SR 257 departs the concurrency on Chicken Road. A few miles later, the concurrency enters Bleckley County. After US 129 Alternate/SR 26/SR 112 enter Cochran, the street name changes to West Dykes Street. Later it crosses a railroad line previously owned by Southern Railway then intersects US 23 Business/SR 87 Business (2nd Street), where SR 26 continues straight ahead onto East Dykes Street, while US ALT 129/SR 112 turns left US 23 BUS/SR 87 BUS.

The vicinity is also the site of the NRHP-listed Cochran Municipal Building and School, and the Bleckley County Courthouse. Between East Ash Street and East Railroad Avenue, the road curves to the northeast with that same Southern Railway line earlier flanking the west side, although the tracks begin to move away from the road north of unmarked Emergency Route 105. The business route ends at US 23/SR 87, but US ALT 129 joins the route in a long overlap, while SR 112 runs only as far as north into Royal along the same overlap until branching off towards Milledgeville. Along the way, US 23/ALT 129/SR 87 run through Twiggs County where they intersect Georgia State Route 96 in Tarversville, and Bibb County where they have an interchange with Interstate 16 Smithsonia. In East Macon, US 23/SR 87/US ALT 129 is joined by US 80/SR 19, and the five routes run mostly west, until in Macon, Georgia where US 80/SR 87 turn south onto Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard at two hospitals. US ALT 129 turns right onto Georgia State Route 22, while US 23 continues towards Atlanta, and later the Blue Ridge Mountains, while SR 19 continues towards Forsyth. US ALT 129 finally ends at US 129/SR 11/SR 49, but SR 22 continues along US 129 until it breaks away from the route in Gray as it heads towards Comer

Eatonton business route

U.S. Route 129 Business (US 129 Business) is a 4-mile-long (6.4 km) business route in Eatonton, Georgia that has existed since 1991. The route is concurrent with US 441 Business/SR 24 Business for its entire length. Part of the route is also concurrent with SR 44.

Madison bypass route

U.S. Route 129 Bypass (US 129 Bypass) is a 5-mile-long (8.0 km) bypass route of Madison, Georgia that is concurrent with US 441 Bypass/SR 24 Bypass for its entire length. The route has existed since 1991.

Watkinsville business route

U.S. Route 129 Business (US 129 Business) is a 3-mile-long (4.8 km) business route in Watkinsville, Georgia that is concurrent with US 441 Business/SR 24 Business for its entire length. The route has existed since 1995.

Arcade–Jefferson business route

U.S. Route 129 Business (US 129 Business) is a 7.1-mile-long (11.4 km) former section of US 129 from Arcade to Jefferson, Georgia that has existed as a business route since 2000. It is also overlapped by SR 15 Alt., Georgia State Route 82 and Georgia Business Route 11

US Route 129 Business begins just north of the Arcade City Hall at US 129/SR Connecting Route 11. The road runs along the west side of a former Seaboard Air Line Railroad (originally Gainesville Midland Railroad) line, and the first intersection that it encounters is Georgia State Route 82, which immediately joins the routes in another concurrency. Near a liquor store and former gas station now utilized as a fruit stand, US 129 BUS/SR ALT 15/SR 82 crosses the Arcade-Jefferson City line and the first intersection within the city is Former Georgia State Route 319 (Etheridge Road), and Rambler Inn Road. The SAL tracks move away from the road, only to return at a grade crossing shared by the entrance to a yarn factory, where they now run along the west side of the road. North of Carriage Avenue, the routes curve away from the tracks.

The routes descend along a slight grade through a mostly residential area before running along the east side of Woodbine-Jefferson City Cemetery, where it enters the Jefferson Historic District^[2] Here they make a right turn at Georgia Business Route 11 (Lee Street), and then at the intersection with Washington Street and Gordon Street turns north onto Gordon Street with GA BUS 11, both of which leave SRs ALT 15/82. Still within the Jefferson Historic District, it passes by the Jackson County Courthouse. At some point, it enters the Washington-Lawrenceville Historic District. Within that district, the route curves to the northwest and leaves that district just after passing by Jefferson High School then runs along the east side of the same Seaboard Air Line it ran along when the route began. Those tracks curve to the west at a private railroad crossing next to a local embroidery shop. Later it passes by the Jefferson Animal Hospital, and a local fire station. US BUS 129/SR 11 BUS passes by the site of the Holder Plantation just before it ends at US 129/SR 11.

Gainesville business route

U.S. Route 129 Business in Gainesville, Georgia is a 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) former segment of US 129 within the city. It is overlapped by Georgia State Route 11 and partially by Georgia State Route 369.

U.S. Route 129 Business begins at Exit 22 on Interstate 985/US 23 when US 129 joins that concurrency after leaving Athens Highway. US BUS 129/SR 11 curves from northwest to northeast and the first intersection is West Ridge Road. Shortly after this, an intersection with Chestnut Street Southeast, which leads to Gainesville, Georgia (Amtrak station), then climbs an embankment in order to cross a pair of bridges over the former Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railway (later Southern Railway) line east of the Amtrak station. Upon descending from the bridge, the road intersects Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which spans from Peter Nix Parkway to SR Connecting Route 11, and then curves to the northwest at the northern terminus of Athens Avenue, a former section of the highway. The routes curve back to the northwest just before intersecting Georgia State Route 369 (Jesse Jewell Parkway), where US 129 BUS/SR 11 turns east, while SR BUS 11 begins north along Athens Highway. At the same intersection, SR 60 moves from an eastbound concurrency with SR 369 to a northbound one along SR BUS 11.

From there US BUS 129/SR 11/SR 369 runs through the territory of Brenau University, and later passes by the Northeast Georgia Health Systems and Medical Center which is on the northwest corner of SR 11 Connector. More local medical clinics line the road as the routes pass through New Holland, Georgia, although there are also some schools and the Frances Meadows Aquatic Center, a local swimming pool and water park.^[3] It also passes by a factory owned by Milliken & Company Just after curving to the northeast and passing by Old Cornelia Highway, U.S. Route 129 Business ends at US 129/SR 369 just west of the I-985 interchange at Exit 24.

Cleveland bypass route

U.S. Route 129 Bypass is an unfinished bypass around the western edge of Cleveland, Georgia

The bypass begins at Donald E. Thurmond Parkway and curves to the northwest just before the existing US 129 turns right onto South Main Street. It makes a slight north-northwest curve then runs beneath a power-line right of way before it currently terminates at Georgia State Route 115.

North of SR 115, the bypass is still under construction as of this writing. It continues roughly north-northwest across a local street named Hunt Road. North of there, the road will curve to the north-northeast. Later it will intersect Jess Hunt Road, where it curves back to the northwest again. The route will replace the current east end of Shepherd Drive and completely replace Cottage Creek Lane and Stoddard Lane, and after this makes a sharp right curve to the east-northeast, which includes a bridge over Tesnatee Creek. US Bypass 129 will end at North Main Street diagonally across from the intersection of Hulsey Road. East of US 129, the Cleveland Bypass is intended to continue along the north side of Hulsey Road to Georgia State Route 75.^[5]

Former routes

Old Town-Branford alternate route

U.S. Highway 129 Alternate
Location:	Old Town-Branford
Existed:	1959–1970

U.S. Route 129 Alternate (US 129 ALT) was a former segment of US 129 that ran from Old Town to Branford, Florida.

Temporary Branford-Live Oak route

U.S. Highway 129 Temporary
Location:	Branford-Live Oak, Florida
Existed:	1959–1961

U.S. Temporary Route 129 (US 129 TEMP) ran from Branford to Live Oak, Florida

Jefferson alternate

U.S. Route 129 Alternate (US 129 Alternate) was an alternate route into Jefferson, Georgia

Gainesville bypass route

U.S. Route 129 Bypass in Gainesville, Georgia was the bypass that ran mostly along Interstate 985 between Exits 22 and 24, and then west onto Jesse Jewell Parkway. Today, this segment is part of mainline US 129.

Blairsville truck route

U.S. Route 129 Truck (US 129 Truck) was a truck route of the US 129 mainline that directed truck traffic around the main part of Blairsville. It was entirely concurrent with SR 11 Truck. It included the Glenn Gooch Bypass from US 19/US 129/SR 11 (Gainesville Highway/Cleveland Street) to US 76/SR 2/SR 515, and along US 76/SR 2/SR 515 to the southwest part of the city. In 2016, US 129 Truck and SR 11 Truck were decommissioned and redesignated as the US 19/US 129/SR 11 mainline.^[7][8]

The entire route was in Union County.

Location	mi[6]	km	Destinations	Notes
​	0.0	0.0	US 19 / US 129 / SR 11 (Gainesville Highway/Cleveland Street) / SR 11 Truck begins	Southern terminus of US 129 Truck/SR 11 Truck; south end of SR 11 Truck concurrency
​	1.1	1.8	US 76 east / SR 2 east / SR 515 north (Young Harris Highway) – Hiawassee	South end of US 76/SR 2/SR 515 concurrency
Blairsville	2.2	3.5	US 19 / US 129 / SR 11 (Murphy Highway) / US 76 west / SR 2 west / SR 515 south – Cleveland, Murphy, N.C., Blue Ridge, Brasstown Bald Mtn.	Northern terminus of US 129 Truck/SR 11 Truck; north end of US 76/SR 2/SR 515 and SR 11 Truck concurrencies
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

External links

• Media related to U.S. Route 129 at Wikimedia Commons