Georgia State Route 20
Encyclopedia
State Route 20 is an abnormally-oriented route in roughly the shape of a capital J
rotated ninety degrees to the left. Its counterclockwise terminus is at the Alabama
state line in Floyd County
, and its clockwise
terminus occurs in the middle of an overpass over US 19/US 41 and SR 3 in Hampton
in Henry County
at the Atlanta Motor Speedway
, where it is known as Bruton Smith Parkway.
. The highway leaves Rome on the other side concurrent
with US 411 until just north of Cartersville
(US 41 briefly joins the concurrency near Cartersville as well), after which SR 20 continues eastward on its own. SR 20 serves such distant northern suburbs of Atlanta as Canton
, Cumming
, and Buford
, crossing Interstates 75
, 575
, and 985
as well as SR 400. The road turns southeast after S.R. 400 and then south after I-985, crossing I-85
shortly thereafter. The road also has easy but congested access to S.R. 316, leading to Athens
.
SR 20 continues southward through Lawrenceville
and Loganville
before meeting Interstate 20
in Conyers
. Likely to help alleviate driver confusion due to two identically-numbered highways meeting, the highway is usually referred to at this point as S.R. 138, with which it overlaps through Conyers. S.R. 20 continues south and then southwest to the Henry County seat of McDonough
, where it briefly overlaps SR 81. SR 81 departs to the north after crossing Interstate 75
at exit 218. The portion of SR 20 between the western end of the SR 81 concurrency and US 19/US 41 has recently been widened from two lanes to four, including a new southern bypass of the city of Hampton
and more controlled access at US 19/US 41. The primary purpose of the widening is to facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the Atlanta Motor Speedway
located near the highway's western terminus.
line. The point at which signage changes to east–west again is uncertain. In Gwinnett County
, SR 20 is signed as an east–west route. If one were to begin traveling the highway at the Alabama state line and continue to the end, signage would indicate travel first to the east, then to the south, then to the west - the opposite direction in which the traveler started - and vice versa in the opposite direction.
and Buford
and was caused by a commercial truck driver under the influence of drugs. Sara's death marked the tenth teenager killed in a road accident in Gwinnett County
in 2003.
The accident occurred when Gary and Edith Holt and their daughter Sara were traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
with relatives Joseph and Pamela Dixon and their children. The truck driver, Courtney Ellis, crossed the center lane of the road and crashed head-on into the Ford Excursion
, driven by Joseph Dixon, in which the two families were riding. The Excursion careened off the road and struck a tree, flipping over, and Ellis' truck ran down a ravine. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon and their two children were airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital
, while Mr. and Mrs. Holt were transported to Gwinnett Medical Center
; Edith Holt was severely injured and was forced to recuperate at a private hospital.
In the months following the arrest and Ellis' trial, there was a great deal of increased interest in the training and disciplinary standards of truck drivers, and a "Sara's Law" was proposed by some as a means to punish truck drivers who speed or are caught with drugs. In August 2004, Ellis was convicted of two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of serious injury by vehicle for his negligence. He filed an appeal with the courts to throw out certain evidence, but the case was dismissed and the charges stayed.
J
Ĵ or ĵ is a letter in Esperanto orthography representing the sound .While Esperanto orthography uses a diacritic for its four postalveolar consonants, as do the Latin-based Slavic alphabets, the base letters are Romano-Germanic...
rotated ninety degrees to the left. Its counterclockwise terminus is at the Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
state line in Floyd County
Floyd County, Georgia
Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 90,565. Census estimates for 2007 show a population of 95,618...
, and its clockwise
Clockwise
Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
terminus occurs in the middle of an overpass over US 19/US 41 and SR 3 in Hampton
Hampton, Georgia
Hampton is a city in southwestern Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,987. Census Estimates for 2005 show a population of 4,743. Hampton mailing addresses also dip into eastern Clayton County and northern Spalding County.The Atlanta Motor...
in Henry County
Henry County, Georgia
Henry County is a growing suburban county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 119,341. As of 2010, the county's population swelled to 203,922, up 70.9% from the previous census and becoming Georgia's 8th most populous county and the 10th fastest growing...
at the Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, where it is known as Bruton Smith Parkway.
Route description
From the Alabama state line, State Route 20 proceeds east into the city of RomeRome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
. The highway leaves Rome on the other side concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 411 until just north of Cartersville
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
(US 41 briefly joins the concurrency near Cartersville as well), after which SR 20 continues eastward on its own. SR 20 serves such distant northern suburbs of Atlanta as Canton
Canton, Georgia
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at ....
, Cumming
Cumming, Georgia
Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,430 at the 2010 census. However, places with a Cumming mailing address have a population of around 100,000...
, and Buford
Buford, Georgia
As of 2010 Buford had a population of 12,225. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 65.8% white, 13.8% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 14.7% reporting some other race and 2.5% reproting two or more races...
, crossing Interstates 75
Interstate 75 in Georgia
In the U.S. state of Georgia, Interstate 75 runs north–south along the U.S. Route 41 corridor on the western side of the state, passing through the cities of Valdosta, Macon and Atlanta. It is also designated — but not signed — as State Route 401...
, 575
Interstate 575
Interstate 575 is an Interstate Highway spur route in the United States, which branches off Interstate 75 in Kennesaw and connects the metro Atlanta area with the north Georgia mountains. I-575 is also the unsigned State Route 417 and is cosigned as SR 5...
, and 985
Interstate 985
Interstate 985 is a long auxiliary Interstate Highway in Georgia. It begins at Interstate 85 near Suwanee and continues northward to the north Georgia city of Gainesville...
as well as SR 400. The road turns southeast after S.R. 400 and then south after I-985, crossing I-85
Interstate 85 in Georgia
In the U.S. state of Georgia, the major Interstate Highway, Interstate 85, runs northeast-southwest from the Alabama border near West Point, and Lanett, Ala., running through Metropolitan Atlanta, and traveling to the border with South Carolina, where it crosses the Savannah River near Lake Hartwell...
shortly thereafter. The road also has easy but congested access to S.R. 316, leading to Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
.
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates the 2008 population at 29,258...
and Loganville
Loganville, Georgia
Loganville is a city located mostly in Walton County with a small portion of the city located in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,963 at the 2009 census.-Geography:...
before meeting Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
in Conyers
Conyers, Georgia
Conyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, USA. It is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,689. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,205. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. By 2009, the reported population was...
. Likely to help alleviate driver confusion due to two identically-numbered highways meeting, the highway is usually referred to at this point as S.R. 138, with which it overlaps through Conyers. S.R. 20 continues south and then southwest to the Henry County seat of McDonough
McDonough, Georgia
McDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. The population was 22084 at the 2010 census. Inclusion of the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding McDonough, which are not part of a town/city, raises the population to approximately 30,000 from an estimate in 2008. The city is the...
, where it briefly overlaps SR 81. SR 81 departs to the north after crossing Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
at exit 218. The portion of SR 20 between the western end of the SR 81 concurrency and US 19/US 41 has recently been widened from two lanes to four, including a new southern bypass of the city of Hampton
Hampton, Georgia
Hampton is a city in southwestern Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,987. Census Estimates for 2005 show a population of 4,743. Hampton mailing addresses also dip into eastern Clayton County and northern Spalding County.The Atlanta Motor...
and more controlled access at US 19/US 41. The primary purpose of the widening is to facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
located near the highway's western terminus.
Directional signage
In Henry County, SR 20 is signed as an east–west route; signage changes to north–south at or near the Newton CountyNewton County, Georgia
Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 62,001. The 2010 Census showed a population of 99,958. The county seat is Covington....
line. The point at which signage changes to east–west again is uncertain. In Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
, SR 20 is signed as an east–west route. If one were to begin traveling the highway at the Alabama state line and continue to the end, signage would indicate travel first to the east, then to the south, then to the west - the opposite direction in which the traveler started - and vice versa in the opposite direction.
July 27, 2003 Holt-Dixon Accident
The road is known as the site of the July 27, 2003 wreck that killed 14-year-old Cobb County resident Sara Holt and injured her parents and several of their relatives. This incident took place between Sugar HillSugar Hill, Georgia
As of 2010 Sugar Hill had a population of 18,522. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 72.4% white, 9.8% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian Indian, 5.0% other Asian, 0.1% PAcific Islander, 8.6% from some other race and 2.5% from two or more races...
and Buford
Buford, Georgia
As of 2010 Buford had a population of 12,225. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 65.8% white, 13.8% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 14.7% reporting some other race and 2.5% reproting two or more races...
and was caused by a commercial truck driver under the influence of drugs. Sara's death marked the tenth teenager killed in a road accident in Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
in 2003.
The accident occurred when Gary and Edith Holt and their daughter Sara were traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
with relatives Joseph and Pamela Dixon and their children. The truck driver, Courtney Ellis, crossed the center lane of the road and crashed head-on into the Ford Excursion
Ford Excursion
The Ford Excursion is a full-size sport utility vehicle that was produced by the Ford Motor Company between model years 2000 and 2005 . Based on the Super Duty pickup truck platform, it served as Ford's largest SUV in its lineup during the tenure of its production and mainly competed against the...
, driven by Joseph Dixon, in which the two families were riding. The Excursion careened off the road and struck a tree, flipping over, and Ellis' truck ran down a ravine. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon and their two children were airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the largest hospital in the state of Georgia and the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the 5th largest public hospital in the United States, as well as one the busiest Level I trauma centers in the...
, while Mr. and Mrs. Holt were transported to Gwinnett Medical Center
Gwinnett Medical Center
Gwinnett Medical Center is a not-for-profit network of healthcare facilities and providers in Gwinnett County, Georgia comprising the following licensed facilities:* GMC-Lawrenceville - a hospital with 353 acute care beds in Lawrenceville, GA...
; Edith Holt was severely injured and was forced to recuperate at a private hospital.
In the months following the arrest and Ellis' trial, there was a great deal of increased interest in the training and disciplinary standards of truck drivers, and a "Sara's Law" was proposed by some as a means to punish truck drivers who speed or are caught with drugs. In August 2004, Ellis was convicted of two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of serious injury by vehicle for his negligence. He filed an appeal with the courts to throw out certain evidence, but the case was dismissed and the charges stayed.