State Route 166 (SR 166) is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. It connects the

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

state line with the city of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. The highway travels through Carrollton, McWhorter, and

East Point East Point is the name of several places: In Australia * East Point, Northern Territory ** East Point Military museum located in East Point, Northern Territory In Canada *East Point, Prince Edward Island In Hong Kong: *East Point, Hong Kong In ...

. Except for the Carrollton and East Point/Atlanta areas, the highway is fairly

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 describ ...

. In Atlanta, it has a limited-access freeway portion that is known as the Arthur B. Langford Jr. Parkway (formerly named the Lakewood Freeway). SR 166 was originally the Georgia segment of U.S. Route 78S (US 78S), which was later redesignated as US 78 Alt. The Lakewood Freeway portion of this highway was, at one time, slated to become designated as Interstate 420 (I-420), but that project was cancelled.

Route description

Georgia State Route 166 in Douglas County

Carroll County

SR 166 begins at the

state line, on the northeastern edge of

Ranburne, Alabama Ranburne is a town in Cleburne County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 422. Geography Ranburne is located near the southeast corner of Cleburne County at . According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a tota ...

, where the roadway continues as

Alabama State Route 46 State Route 46 (SR 46) is a state highway in Cleburne County in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The western terminus of the highway is at an intersection with U.S. Route 78 (US 78) (which also carries the u ...

(Main Street). It travels to the northeast, through Carroll County. After curving to an east-northeast direction, and then beginning an east-southeast routing, it crosses over Big Indian Creek. The highway enters Bowdon and curves back to the east-northeast just before intersecting the northern terminus of Elm Street. Just to the east of Griffins Alley, it curves to a due-east direction and intersects SR 100 (Wedowee Street/North Carroll Street). Almost immediately, the highway travels to the northeast. After leaving the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate limi ...

of Bowdon, and just before an intersection with Dixson Road and West Jonesville Road, SR 166 begins to curve to an easterly direction. It passes just north of Anderson Lake shortly before crossing over the

Little Tallapoosa River Little Tallapoosa River is a river in Georgia and Alabama, in the United States. It rises in northern Carroll County, Georgia near the city of Villa Rica and flows southwest into Alabama, joining the Tallapoosa River in Randolph County near the ...

. Nearly later, it enters the city limits of Carrollton. At an intersection with Maple Street, which leads to downtown Carrollton, SR 166 turns to the right onto what is essentially a bypass of the main part of the city. It passes to the south of Sunset Hills Country Club and then reaches the Wayne Shackelford Interchange with US 27/ SR 1/ SR 16 (

Martha Berry Martha McChesney Berry (October 7, 1865 – February 27, 1942) was an American educator and the founder of Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Early years Martha McChesney Berry was the daughter of Capt. Thomas Berry, a veteran of the Mexican– ...

Highway). SR 166 continues to the east-northeast,

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 16, as well as US 27 Alt., which begins at that interchange. The three highways curve to the northeast and travel to the southeast of

Richards Lake Richards may refer to: *Richards (surname) In places: * Richards, New South Wales, Australia * Richards, Missouri, United States * Richards, Texas, United States In other uses: * Richards (lunar crater) Richards is a small lunar impact crate ...

. At an intersection with Newnan Road, US 27 Alt./SR 16 depart to the southeast, while SR 166 continues to the northeast. Just after Old Newnan Road, it curves to a due-north direction. Just to the east of Lake Carroll, it intersects the eastern terminus of SR 166 Conn. (Northside Drive). At this intersection, SR 166 turns to the right, traveling northeast on

Bankhead Highway The Bankhead Highway was a United States cross-country automobile highway connecting Washington, D.C., and San Diego. The Bankhead Highway's beginnings can be traced back to 1916 when the Bankhead Highway Association was organized to promote the h ...

. At an intersection with the southern terminus of SR 61 (Carrollton-Villa Rica Highway), SR 166/Bankhead Highway turn right and resume their eastward trek. They weave through rural portions of the county. At the

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

county line, the Bankhead Highway name ends and the J. Ebb Duncan Memorial Highway name begins.

Douglas County

SR 166 continues winding its way through mainly farmland and rural areas on its way to McWhorter. Here, it intersects SR 5 (

Bill Arp Charles Henry Smith (June 15, 1826 – August 24, 1903) was an American writer and politician from the state of Georgia. He used the pen name Bill Arp for nearly 40 years. He had a national reputation as a homespun humorist during his lifetime ...

Road) by way of a

traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The N ...

. A short distance after crossing over the

Dog River Dog River may refer to: Canada *Dog River (Ontario), a river in Thunder Bay District, Ontario *Dog River (Manitoba), a river in Northern Region, Manitoba *Dog River, Saskatchewan, a fictional setting for the television series ''Corner Gas'' Unite ...

, the highway begins paralleling the western shore of the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...

. It travels through mostly wooded land on its way to an intersection with SR 70/ SR 92/ SR 154 (Campbellton-Fairburn Road). The four-highway concurrency travels to the north-northeast, bypassing the Boundary Waters Aquatic Center. The highways reach an intersection with Fairburn Road, where SR 92 departs to the north. At this same intersection, SR 70/SR 154/SR 166 turn right and travel to the southeast. They curve to the east-southeast and cross over the Chattahoochee River into southern

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

on the Dick Lane Bridge.

Fulton County

SR 70/SR 154/SR 166 continue to the east-southeast for about , where SR 70 departs the concurrency by turning left onto Fulton Industrial Boulevard SW. SR 154/SR 166 curve to the northeast and gradually travel in more of an eastern direction and enter Sandtown. Here, they intersect SR 6 (Camp Creek Parkway). Just over later, they pass Sandtown Middle School and Asa Philip Elementary School. After the schools is an entrance to Sandtown Park. The highways curve to the southeast and leave the city limits of Sandtown and enter those of

. They pass

Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (SACA) is a preschool to 12th grade private Christian school in southwestern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Geraldine Thompson is the headmistress, and is the wife to Pastor Wayne C. Thompson. Pastor Thompso ...

and just north of

Ben Hill Park Ben Hill Park is a community park in the Ben Hill neighborhood of southwest Atlanta, Georgia. It includes one recreation center, one covered basketball court, two tennis courts, and one multipurpose baseball Baseball is a bat-and ...

. Less than later, the Arthur B. Langford Jr. Parkway designation begins, and then they have an interchange with Interstate 285 (I-285; Atlanta Bypass). Almost immediately, SR 154/SR 166 pass the

Greenbriar Mall Greenbriar Mall is a shopping mall in the Greenbriar neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia that opened in 1965. The anchor stores are Beauty Master, Dollar Tree, Greenbriar Furniture, Macy's (closed April 2021), and Citi Trends. There are 2 vacant ...

and have an interchange with Greenbriar Parkway. Just over later, along the Atlanta-

city line, they have an interchange with DeLowe Drive and Stanton Road. The highways enter East Point proper and have an interchange with

US 29 U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington ...

/ SR 14/ SR 139 (although the last two are not signed on the exit signs. At this interchange, SR 154 departs the concurrency to the north. SR 166 re-enters Atlanta and has an interchange with Sylvan Road and Cleveland Avenue. About later is an interchange with Perkerson Road, which leads to US 19/ US 41/ SR 3 ( Metropolitan Parkway). SR 3 is not signed on the exit sign. Almost immediately is an interchange with

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65, I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 95, I ...

(

Downtown Connector In Downtown Atlanta, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 (pronounced "seventy-five eighty-five") is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, th ...

). Approximately later, SR 166 and the Langford Parkway meet their eastern terminus, and interchange with Lakewood Avenue SW.

History

1920s and 1930s

The road that would eventually become SR 166 was established in 1920 as part of SR 34 from Carrollton to just northeast of the city (at today's intersection of SR 166 and SR 61). By the end of the third quarter of 1921, SR 16 was designated from the Alabama state line, west of Bowdon to Carrollton. By late 1926, SR 16 and SR 34 were redesignated as a southern branch of SR 8. In 1927, US 78 split into two divided routes, with US 78S being designated from

Heflin, Alabama Heflin is a city and the county seat of Cleburne County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,431. It is located approximately halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta along Interstate 20. History Heflin was first s ...

to just northeast of Carrollton, via Bowdon and Carrollton, on the southern branch of SR 8. By 1932, US 78S/SR 8 were paved from Carrollton to just northeast of town. In the middle of 1934, US 78S/SR 8 were paved from the Alabama state line to about Bowdon. By November of that year, US 78S was redesignated as US 78 Alt. In early 1936, US 78S/SR 8 were paved from Bowdon to Carrollton. In August 1938, SR 41 was designated along the current path of SR 70 on the east side of the Chattahoochee River.

1940s to 1960s

At the end of 1940, SR 166 was designated from Carrollton to the SR 92 intersection northwest of Fairburn (this intersection currently also carries SR 70 and SR 154, as well). By April, it was extended across the Chattahoochee River and paralleled SR 41 to the east as it entered Atlanta on Campbellton Road, and intersected US 29 at Dill Avenue, farther north than it does today. Prior to the next year, all of the Fulton County section of SR 166 was paved. By the end of 1946, SR 41 was redesignated as SR 154. SR 92 and SR 166 traveled concurrently (as they do today). SR 166 crossed the Chattahoochee River farther to the north than it used to. SR 154 and SR 166 traveled concurrently from just east of the river to about the current SR 6 intersection. By the beginning of 1948, the southern branch of SR 8 was redesignated as SR 8 Alternate. Also, SR 166 was paved from the northern SR 92 intersection to the Chattahoochee River. In either 1952 or 1953, US 78 Alt. was decommissioned. By the middle of 1954, an extension of SR 74 was designated along SR 154/SR 166 west of Atlanta. By the middle of 1955, SR 8 Alternate was redesignated as SR 166 from the Alabama state line to northeast of Carrollton. Also, SR 166 was paved from northeast of Carrollton to McWhorter. By the middle of 1960, all of the then-current length of SR 166 was paved. By 1966, the limited-access portion of SR 166 was under construction from I-285 to US 19/US 41/SR 3. Later that year, the construction was complete along that section. In 1967. the extension of SR 70 was renumbered as part of SR 70. In 1969, the limited access portion was proposed to be extended from its current eastern terminus, at Lakewood Avenue, past SR 54 and McDonough Boulevard (today's SR 42 Spur) to end at a proposed piece of SR 400.

1970s to 2010s

By the beginning of 1978, the proposed extension (and possibly the rest of the limited-access portion) was proposed to be designated as I-420. Also, the proposed eastern terminus was extended to I-20 between its crossing of Sugar Creek and its interchange with Gresham Road. Along the way, the proposed interchange with SR 400 was changed to one with the northern terminus of I-675. In 1985, the proposed northern part of I-675 and the I-420 proposal were both removed from the GDOT maps. Also, the yearly map reverted the eastern terminus back to I-75/I-85. In 1992, SR 154 was rerouted on a concurrency with SR 166, from just west of the Chattahoochee River to the interchange with US 29, as it does today. In 2007, SR 70 was partially rerouted from the east side of the Chattahoochee River to follow the SR 92/SR 154/SR 166 concurrency on the west side of the river and cross back over west of Atlanta. It wasn't until the 2015-2016 edition of GDOT's state map that the section from I-75/I-85 to Lakewood Avenue was returned to the map.

Miscellaneous notes

SR 166 was originally supposed to extend (as I-420) from

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...

near

Douglasville The city of Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County, Georgia, Douglas County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. , the city had a population of 34,650, up from 30,961 in 2010 United States census, 2010 and 20,065 in 2000 Uni ...

in the west to the

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missouri ...

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

of Decatur in the east. The eastern portion of this was fought bitterly by residents in court, and was eventually cancelled, along with a number of other interstate highways in Atlanta. In 1995, the Georgia Senate moved to rename the then-Lakewood Freeway to the Arthur Langford, Jr. Memorial Parkway in honor of the former

Atlanta City Council The Atlanta City Council is the main municipal legislative body for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It consists of 16 members primarily elected from 12 districts within the city. The Atlanta City Government is divided into three bo ...

man and

Georgia State Senator The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...

. Since 2003,

GDOT The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in developin ...

has widened SR 166 between Greenbriar Parkway and Perkerson Road.

Major intersections

Related routes

Interstate 420

Interstate 420 (I-420) was an

Auxiliary Interstate Highway Auxiliary Interstate Highways (also called three-digit Interstate Highways) are a supplemental subset of the freeways within the Interstate Highway System of the United States. Auxiliary routes are generally classified as spur routes, which con ...

that was planned to split off I-285 on the west side of

, then continue east to a point south of

downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county, s ...

, merging at an interchange with proposed I-675 and traveling northeastward on to I-20 near Gresham Park. It would have had a length of . The only portion of it actually built was SR 166, known as Lakewood Freeway and now, Langford Parkway. The portion east of

was never built, due to

public opposition Public opposition describes a form of social activity that deliberately opposes establishment opinion in the public sphere in order to raise public awareness of topics, problems or social groups that appear to be neglected or oppressed. As with the ...

from communities in its path. I-675 was built, however, and currently travels between I-75 near Stockbridge in Henry County to I-285 near

Panthersville Panthersville is a census-designated place (CDP) in DeKalb County, Georgia, DeKalb County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 9,749 at the 2010 census. History The community most likely was named after a Cherokee Ind ...

. If I-420 had been built, it would have had the hidden designation of State Route 414. I-420 was proposed in 1978, and was approved to be designated on September 29, 1983; had it been built, it would have cost $96.4 million.

Carrollton connector route

State Route 166 Connector (SR 166 Conn.) is a connector of SR 166 that is mostly within the

of Carrollton. It is entirely within Carroll County. It is known as Linda Lane from its western terminus to its

intersection In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, their i ...

with SR 113 and Northside Drive from SR 113 to its eastern terminus. SR 166 Conn. begins at an intersection with US 27/ SR 1 on the northern edge of Carrollton, where the roadway continues as Columbia Drive. The highway leaves the city limits and travels on a nearly due east direction until it intersects SR 113. It travels in a southeasterly direction and crosses over the

, where it re-enters the city limits of Carrollton. After a gradual curve to the south-southeast, it meets its eastern terminus, an intersection with the SR 166 mainline. The highway was proposed in 1998 on a routing from Shady Grove Road to its current eastern terminus. In 2000, the proposal was extended to include all of its current length. In 2001, it was proposed to be numbered as SR 166 Spur, on at least the US 27/SR 1-to-SR 113 segment. In 2004, it was completed, and signed as SR 166 Conn.

References

External links

*
Interstate 420 Georgia on Interstate-Guide.com

* ttps://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zVpgPFx_pfbc.kR1NlZYCmTak&hl=en The canceled I-420 route(superimposed on Google Maps)
3-digit Interstates from I-20 on Kurumi.com
{{3di, 20 166 Transportation in Carroll County, Georgia Transportation in Douglas County, Georgia Transportation in Fulton County, Georgia U.S. Route 78 Roads in Atlanta