Interstate 475 is a 15.83 miles (25.5 km) long Interstate highway in Georgia, splitting off from Interstate 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...

 and bypassing Macon, Georgia

Macon, Georgia

Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...

. It is also unsigned State Route 408. This is the preferred route for through traffic, as I-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...

 enters downtown Macon and reduces to four lanes (two in either direction), and has a 55 mph (89 km/h) speed limit

Speed limit

Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...

, in addition to the I-16

Interstate 16

Interstate 16 , also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway or State Route 404 , is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Georgia, United States...

 highway interchange.

Route description

I-475 carries six lanes (three in each direction) throughout its entire route (expanding to four lanes at both junctions with I-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...

).

The road has also been equipped with traffic camera

Traffic camera

A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, these are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, motorways, autoroutes and expressways, as well as arterial roads, and are connected with optical fibers buried alongside or even under the road,...

s, which are a part of the Georgia Navigator

Georgia Navigator

Georgia Navigator is an Advanced Traffic Management System used in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Department of Transportation , and was first activated in April 1996, just before the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.Most of the system is installed in metro Atlanta, where...

 system that has been extended via fiber optics all the way from metro Atlanta

Metro Atlanta

The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...

, nearly 100 miles or about 150 kilometers to the north-northwest.

History

The number 475 had originally been assigned to I-675 and Georgia 400, which were to have been a single north/south expressway

Controlled-access highway

A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...

 through the immediate east side of Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

.

Built in stages between 1965 and 1971, Interstate 475 was originally built with two lanes in each direction, and a wide median with forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

, mostly of sweetgum trees. When the interstate added one lane in each direction, every bit of the median was paved, with a full-lane-wide shoulder

Shoulder (road)

A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...

 in both directions instead of the normal very narrow ones, and a jersey barrier

Jersey barrier

A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....

, rather than leaving or replanting any trees or other landscaping

Landscaping

Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...

 or native vegetation.

The Bibb County

Bibb County, Georgia

Bibb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 153,887. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 154,709...

 Commission named the highway in honor of former Commission Chairman Larry Justice, who retired in 2000.

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	Exit Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....		Destinations	Notes
			Old	New
Bibb Bibb County, Georgia Bibb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 153,887. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 154,709...						Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				1	Hartley Bridge Road	Added exit in 2009 with new C/D Lanes - Exit 155 on I-75 SB, C/D Lanes from Hartley Bridge Road entrance going NB to I-475 and I-75
			1	3
			2	5
			3	9	Zebulon Zebulon, Georgia Zebulon is a city in Pike County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,181 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Pike County...  Road
Monroe Monroe County, Georgia Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on May 15, 1821. As of 2000, the population was 21,757. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 25,145...			4	15
						Northbound exit and southbound entrance

External links

• Kurumi - Georgia I-475