Between exits 4 and 8, there is an eight-route concurrency, consisting of US29, US78, US129, US441, SR8, SR10 Loop, SR15, and the unsigned SR422. This concurrency contains the most highways in a single United States concurrency, tied with a section of the I-465beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana.[4][5]
Route description
Outer Loop of the SR 10 Loop around Athens, at its southern crossing of the Middle Oconee River.
SR10 Loop begins at an interchange with US29, US78, SR8 and SR316 to the south, and Epps Bridge Parkway to the north in Oconee County south of Athens. It heads east as a four-lane freeway, concurrent with US29, US78, and SR8, and crosses McNutt Creek to enter Clarke County and Athens as it meets a partial cloverleaf interchange with US129, US441 and SR15, which includes a connection to Timothy Road to the north. Those three routes join SR10 Loop as it continues east and crosses the Middle Oconee River. The freeway then curves to the northeast and intersects Milledge Avenue, where SR15 Alternate begins, heading north from the interchange.[6]
After this intersection, SR10 Loop crosses a Georgia shortline railroad[7] and turns to the northeast, where it meets College Station Road at a diamond interchange. At this point the highway right-of-way abuts the University of Georgia campus; immediately north of the College Station Road interchange is an on-ramp to a campus parking lot[6] that is normally closed, but is used on home football game days to allow departing spectators access onto inner 10 Loop directly from campus.[8] Northeast of here, the highway crosses the North Oconee River and meets a folded diamond interchange with SR10, which is Oconee Street west of the interchange and Lexington Road east of it. At this interchange, US78 splits from the highway and turns east, and its business route (US78 Bus.) begins and heads west toward the center of the city.[6]
North of this interchange, SR10 Loop curves to the northwest and intersects with Peter Street and Olympic Drive at a partial cloverleaf interchange, then crosses Trail Creek and a CSX railroad,[7] then meets an interchange with Old Hull Road. This interchange does not provide complete access between the two roads; there is only an exit going northbound and only an entrance from Old Hull Road going southbound. Just north of here, the highway meets an interchange at which US29 and SR8 continue north towards Hartwell and Greenville, South Carolina while SR10 Loop, US129, US441, and SR15 exit and turn due west. This interchange also completes access to Old Hull Road by providing the movements missing from the aforementioned interchange: an exit from the inner loop and an entrance to the outer loop.[6]
West of this interchange, the freeway passes over the western fork of Trail Creek, then meets a partial cloverleaf interchange with North Avenue and Danielsville Road. Farther west, it intersects Dr Martin Luther King Jr Parkway and Commerce Road at a diamond interchange. Here, US441 and SR15 leave the freeway and turn north along Commerce Road. SR10 Loop then curves in a southwesterly direction and crosses the North Oconee River again before coming to another diamond interchange, this one with Chase Street.[6]
SR10 Loop continues southwest and crosses the CSX railroad again,[7] then dips to the north and intersects SR 15 Alternate, which is Prince Avenue south of the interchange and Jefferson Road north of it. At this interchange, US129 leaves SR10 Loop and joins SR 15 Alternate heading north towards Jefferson. The freeway's next exit to the southwest is a diamond interchange with Tallassee Road and Oglethorpe Avenue. Farther southwest, SR10 Loop crosses the Middle Oconee River again, then intersects SR10 and US78 Bus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with Atlanta Highway.[6]
Then, SR10 Loop curves back to the southeast, crosses McNutt's Creek, leaving Athens and crossing back into Oconee County. The freeway has one final exit with the Oconee Connector, access to which is incomplete; the outer loop has only an exit, and the inner loop has only an entrance. Finally, the highway curves back to the east and meets the interchange with US29, US78, SR8, and SR316, where the exit numbers reset and the loop begins again.[6]
The entire length of SR10 Loop is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.[9]
History
1960s
The highway that would eventually become SR10 Loop was established as SR350 between June 1960 and June 1963. It extended from US129/SR15 in the northwestern part of the city to US29/SR8 in the northeastern part. The entire divided highway was paved.[10][11] By the end of 1965, US29 was designated on SR350 from the US129/SR15 interchange, which also had US29 Temp. and US441 Temp., to the US29/SR8 interchange. US441 Temp. was designated on it from the US129/SR15 interchange to the US441/SR15 Alt. interchange. A western extension of SR350, ending at US29/US78/SR8/SR10, was under construction. Also, SR350 was under construction east-southeast just slightly from the US29/SR8 interchange.[11][12] In 1966, SR350 was decommissioned. US29 was designated on the freeway from the western terminus to where it, as well as SR8, depart the freeway. This interchange also had SR8 Bus. and SR106. SR8 was designated on the entire length of the freeway. Its former path through the city was redesignated as SR8 Bus., still concurrent with US78/SR10.[12][13] In 1967, US29 was extended on the freeway one interchange to the east. At this interchange, SR72 was extended southeast to end here, concurrent with US29/SR8.[13][14]
1970s and 1980s
In 1976, SR72 was indicated to be "projected mileage" from this point south to US78/SR10, then southwest and west to end at US441/SR15.[15][16] In 1980, the freeway was completed along this path, with US129/US441/SR15 designated on it.[17][18] The next year, the portion of the freeway between US29/SR8/SR72 and US78/SR10 on the northeastern part was downgraded to a divided highway.[18][19] In 1983, the final piece of the freeway on the southwestern part was indicated to be designated as SR732 as projected mileage. US129/US441/SR15 Alt. was designated on the freeway from the southern end to their current respective interchanges.[20][21] In 1985, US441 Temp. was no longer shown on maps. SR72's western terminus was truncated to the far northeastern part of the city, at its current location.[21][22] In 1987, the freeway was completed in the southwestern part of the city. SR10 was designated on it from the original western terminus to the eastern US78/SR10 Bus. interchange. Its old path through downtown, still concurrent with US78, was redesignated as SR10 Bus. At this time, SR72 was re-extended to the northeastern interchange.[23][2] The next year, SR10 was shifted back to downtown, with SR10 Loop designated on the freeway. US78 was shifted to the southern side of the freeway, with its former path redesignated as US78 Bus.[2][3]
1990s and 2000s
In 1991, SR15 and SR15 Alt. in the area were swapped to their current paths.[24][25] In 1995, US29/SR8 was also shifted to the southern side of the freeway, concurrent with US78/SR316. SR72's western terminus was once again truncated to its current location.[26][27] In 2001, US129/US441/SR15 was placed on a southern concurrency with the freeway for less than 0.5 miles (0.80km). This brief concurrency ended at Macon Highway.[28][29] The next year, US129/US441/SR15 was shifted off of Macon Highway and onto the freeway.[29][30] In 2004, the unsigned SR422 designation was applied to the freeway.[31][32]
In 2011, the half-diamond interchange at Oconee Parkway was added, with access limited from the parkway to the inner loop, and from the outer loop to the parkway. In 2015, the entirety of Loop 10 was made a freeway with the upgrade of the at-grade junction at Peter Street and Olympic Drive to a partial cloverleaf interchange.[34]
Future
The folded diamond interchange at SR 10 (Lexington Road/Oconee Street; Exit 8) is planned to be upgraded in 2025. A new ramp will be built from SR 10 and Barnett Shoals Road to access the outer loop alongside a project that will widen SR 10. It is undecided whether the existing loop ramp from SR 10 to the outer loop should be removed or not.[35]
The interchange with SR 8/US 29 at the northeastern most point on the loop is planned to upgrade the two bridges over SR 10 Loop heading east and west-bound, with two lanes over each bridge. Construction is planned to start in 2021. The two bridges were completed in 2024 and are now operational. [36]
Clockwise (inner) end of US 129/US 441/SR 15 overlap; signed as exits 4A (US 129 / US 441 / SR 15 south) and 4B (Timothy Road) on inner loop (clockwise)
Counterclockwise (outer) end of US 29 / SR 8 overlap; SR 10 Loop outer (counterclockwise) follows exit 10B (old 11); SR 10 Loop inner (clockwise) follows exit 10C
10.9
17.5
10
11
North Avenue / Danielsville Road
Signed as exits 11A (Danielsville Road) and 11B (North Avenue) on inner loop (clockwise)
123Georgia Department of Transportation (1988). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1988–1989ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
12Georgia Department of Transportation (1989). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1989–1990ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
12State Highway Department of Georgia (January 1966). Official Highway Map(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Atlanta: State Highway Department of Georgia. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
12State Highway Department of Georgia (January 1967). Official Highway Map(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Atlanta: State Highway Department of Georgia. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑State Highway Department of Georgia (January 1968). Official Highway Map(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Atlanta: State Highway Department of Georgia. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (January 1976). Official Highway Map(PDF) (Map) (1976–1977ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (January 1977). Official Highway Map(PDF) (Map) (1977–1978ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1980). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1980–1981ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
12Georgia Department of Transportation (1981). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1981–1982ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1982). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1983). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1983–1984ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
12Georgia Department of Transportation (1984). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1984–1985ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1986). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1986–1987ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1987). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1987–1988ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1991). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1991–1992ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1992). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1992–1993ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1995). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1995–1996ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (1996). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (1996–1997ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (2001). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (2001–2002ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
12Georgia Department of Transportation (2002). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (2002–2003ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (2003). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (2003–2004ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (2004). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (2004–2005ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑Georgia Department of Transportation (2005). Official Highway and Transportation Map(PDF) (Map) (2005–2006ed.). Scale not given. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
