Georgia State Route 121 (SR 121) is a
state highway between
Charlton County and
Augusta. It is part of a three-state multistate route beginning in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and ending in
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
Route description
SR 121 begins in
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...
Charlton County at the
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
state line near the southernmost point in the state. Here, the roadway continues as
State Road 121. From the state line, it travels to the north,
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
SR 23. This segment of the route is called the Okefenokee Parkway. After passing through
St. George, it has a concurrency with
US 1/
US 23/
US 301/
SR 4/
SR 15 in
Folkston. Shortly afterwards, US 301/SR 23 split from the other routes, while US 1/US 23/SR 4/SR 15/SR 121 stay concurrent until
Racepond, where US 1/US 23/SR 4 continue to the northwest while SR 15/SR 121 branch off to the northeast. In
Hoboken
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...
, the routes intersect with
US 82/
SR 520. In
Blackshear is an intersection with
US 84/
SR 38. North of this intersection, SR 15 splits off to the northwest, while SR 121 heads to the northeast again. The road has a brief concurrency with
SR 203 shortly afterwards. In
Surrency, the road intersects
US 341/
SR 27. Later,
SR 169, and then
SR 144 form brief concurrencies with the road. A short time later, the route is reunited with SR 23/
SR 57 and becomes concurrent with one of these two routes once again. In
Reidsville, the route intersects
US 280/
SR 30. In
Cobbtown, SR 57 splits off. Just south of
Metter is an
interchange with
Interstate 16
Interstate 16 (I-16), also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway, is an east–west Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Georgia. It carries the hidden designation of State Route 404 (SR 404) for its ...
(I-16), specifically Exit 104. Within Metter itself, SR 23 splits off. North of Metter,
US 80/
SR 26 intersect with the road. North of that junction, SR 121 begins a concurrency with
US 25/
SR 67. SR 23 joins the concurrency shortly afterward. In
Millen, SR 23/SR 67 split off.
SR 24 briefly joins the concurrency in
Waynesboro. In
Augusta, SR 121 travels concurrently with US 1/US 25/US 78/US 278/SR 10 along
Gordon Highway
Gordon Highway is a major highway in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia, traveling through the southern part of Columbia County and the northeastern part of Richmond County. It is named after Confederate general John Brown Gordo ...
and serves as a major road. At the
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
state line, SR 10 end, while US 1/US 25/US 78/US 278/SR 121 continue, concurrent with
South Carolina Highway 121
South Carolina Highway 121 (SC 121) is a major state highway that travels north and south in central parts of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The highway is actually part of a long multi-state highway that also exists in Florida and ...
.
Woodpecker Trail
In 2004, the
Senate and
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. ...
of the state of Georgia passed legislation designating SR 121 as the Woodpecker Trail Highway from the Florida state line to the South Carolina state line and was signed into law by Governor
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...
on May 17, 2004. On September 19, 2005, Governor Perdue and others officially dedicated the Woodpecker Trail Highway in Augusta. A newly designed Woodpecker Trail logo was imprinted onto highway signs which have been placed along the trail at key highway junction points.
The origin of the trail's name dates back to the 1920s when it was listed by
AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
, and, in the 1940s, highway signs using
Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.
Biography
Early years and start in animation
Lant ...
's
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated character that appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz Studio and distributed by Universal Studios between 1940 and 1972.
Woody, an anthropomorphic woodpecker, was created in 1940 by ...
character marked the highway but eventually fell out of use.
[ Of course, it was in use before then, maybe as early as 1915 by Native Americans, horse-drawn buggies, and the first horseless carriages.
While the highway continues into Florida and South Carolina as State Road 121, efforts to continue the Woodpecker Trail designation and signage in those states have been unsuccessful.][
]
Major intersections
Special routes
Charlton County spur route
State Route 121 Spur (SR 121 Spur) was a spur route of SR 121 that existed in the central part of Charlton County, on the eastern side of the Okefenokee Swamp
The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee ...
. In 1952, an unnumbered road was established from Camp Cornelia east to SR 23 south-southwest of Folkston. Between June 1960 and June 1963, SR 121 was extended on SR 23. In 1976, this road was designated as SR 121 Spur. In 1993, the spur route was decommissioned.
Waynesboro bypass route
State Route 121 Bypass (SR 121 Byp.) is a bypass around most of Waynesboro. It is concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with U.S. Route 25 Bypass (US 25 Byp.) for its entire length.
See also
*
*
* Central Savannah River Area
The Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) is a trading and marketing region in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina, spanning fourteen counties in Georgia and seven in South Carolina. The term was coined in 1950 by C.C. McCollum, the winn ...
* Transportation in Augusta, Georgia
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
References
External links
* {{Commons category-inline
Georgia Roads (Routes 121 - 140)
121
Transportation in Charlton County, Georgia
Transportation in Brantley County, Georgia
Transportation in Pierce County, Georgia
Transportation in Appling County, Georgia
Transportation in Tattnall County, Georgia
Transportation in Candler County, Georgia
Transportation in Emanuel County, Georgia
Transportation in Jenkins County, Georgia
Transportation in Burke County, Georgia
Transportation in Richmond County, Georgia
Transportation in Augusta, Georgia