U.S. Route 23 in Georgia

U.S. Route 23 (US 23) in the U.S. state of Georgia, is a north–south United States highway that travels from the St. Marys River south-southeast of Folkston to the North Carolina state line, in the northern part of Dillard. At nearly in length, it is the longest U.S. Highway in Georgia.

US 23 is signed concurrently with various state highways. It uses SR 4 from Florida to a point north of Alma, SR 15 from Florida to Racepond, SR 23 in Folkston, SR 121 from Folkston to Racepond, SR 520 and SR 38 in Waycross, SR 19 from north of Alma to Lumber City, SR 135 Truck in Hazlehurst, SR 27 from Hazlehurst to Eastman, SR 165 in Chauncey, SR 27 Bus. and SR 117 in Eastman, SR 87 from Eastman to Macon, SR 257 in the Empire area, SR 112 near Cochran, SR 19 from East Macon to the northern part of Macon, SR 540 from East Macon to the eastern part of Macon, SR 11/ SR 49 in Macon, SR 87 from Macon to Flovilla, SR 42 from Flovilla to Atlanta, SR 16 and SR 36 in Jackson, SR 138 in the Stockbridge area, SR 10 from Atlanta to Druid Hills, SR 8 from Atlanta to Decatur, SR 155 from Decatur to the Brookhaven–Chamblee line, SR 13 from the Brookhaven–Chamblee line to the Sugar Hill–Buford line, SR 20 within Buford, SR 365 from Buford to east-southeast of Clarkesville, SR 15 from northwest of Cornelia to the North Carolina state line, and SR 2 in Clayton.

Concurrencies of US 23 with U.S. Highways in Georgia are US 1 from Florida to north of Alma, US 301 from Florida to the Folkston–Homeland line, US 82 in Waycross, US 84 in Waycross, US 221 Truck in Hazlehurst, US 341 from Hazlehurst to Eastman, US 129 Alt. from north of Cochran to Macon, US 80 from East Macon to Macon, US 129 in Macon, US 278 from Atlanta to Druid Hills, US 29/ 78 from Atlanta to Decatur, US 129 in Gainesville, US 441 from northwest of Cornelia to the North Carolina state line, and US 76 in Clayton. Between Buford and Gainesville, it also has a concurrency with Interstate 985 (I-985).

Route description

Entering Georgia with US 1

US 23 enters Georgia from Florida concurrent with US 1/ US 301, also designated as SR 4/ SR 15, on a bridge over the St. Marys River. In Folkston, the routes have their first encounter with another state route, specifically the western terminus of Georgia State Route 40 at Main Street. On the opposite side of SR 40, Main Street leads to a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, and an extremely popular train-watching site. North of there SR 23/ SR 121 join this already crowded concurrency, and shortly serves as the western terminus for SR 40 Conn. In Homeland, US 301/SR 23 heads northeast at an interchange into the woods of northeastern Charlton County towards Nahunta, Jesup, Claxton, Statesboro, and Sylvania, while US 23 continues to the northwest in the concurrency with US 1/SR 4/SR 15/SR 121, but not before both lanes run over bridges over the CSX Nahunta Subdivision, which runs along US 301 through Jesup. After Homeland, US 1/23 and SRs 4/15/121 run through sparse communities such as Uptonville, and then Mattox, where another railroad line from Folkston runs along the west side and both pass through another community named Cypress Siding. Later in Racepond, SR 15/SR 121, branch off to the northeast, while the US 1/23/SR 4 concurrency remains running to the northwest, and then crossing into Ware County along the edge of the Ware- Brantley County Line. From this point on the road is named Jacksonville Highway. The Brantley County line turns straight north somewhere in Dixon Memorial State Forest. After leaving the forest, the road starts to move away from the tracks before the intersection of Georgia State Route 177 and the gateway to Okefenokee Swamp Park.

Right after a Georgia State Trooper barracks and DMV office, the routes officially enter Waycross, as the run between two local motels. Passing by some automotive dealerships, hotels, fast foot restaurants and other commercial development, the road approaches US 82/ SR 520 and then turns west onto a concurrency with these routes while US BUS 1/23/SR BUS 4 continues northwest along Memorial Drive. After running along a bridge over the CSX Jesup Subdivision, US 84/ SR 38 also joins this concurrency at McDonald Street, but not before crossing another railroad bridge over the CSX Fitzgerald Subdivision, more than a block away to the west. The concurrency ends at Victory Drive and the southwest corner is the site of Waycross College. West of the city limits, US 82 becomes a divided highway as it takes US 1/23 from west to northwest as they cross Georgia State Route 122, and later crosses another bridge over the second railroad line from Waycross Junction. The road starts to curve west, and before reaching Waresboro, US 1/23 breaks away from US 82 onto a bypass across from a local street named Fulford Road. Using a former segment of Fulford Road and later Scapa Road, the bypass winds through forestland and some farmland west of northern Deenwood and northwest of Waycross. The bypass ends at the northern terminus of US BUS 1/23/SR BUS 4, then rejoins its former segment along Alma Highway to approach a series of bridges over Cox Creek and then over the Satilla River. After this, it passes through a small community called Dixie Union, where it intersects a local road named Telmore-Dixie Union Road to the west and Dixie Union Road to the east. North of Bickley Highway, the road curves to the north-northeast and winds around a former segment so that it can go over a pair of bridges over another railroad line. Right after the Ware- Bacon County line and then the intersection of Old Alma-Waycross Highway/Jamestown Road, the road runs over a pair of bridges over Little Hurricane Creek before the intersection with Plant Road where it curves from the northeast to the north-northwest.

The divided highway, which at some point gained the name South Pierce Street, ends at Dogwood Avenue, replaced by a four-lane undivided highway with a center-left turn lane; it enters Alma after it passes by the Bacon County High School and Middle School property. Immediately after the intersection with Radio Station Road, Georgia Alternate Route 4 branches off to the northwest onto South Dixon Street, while the main road curves slightly to the northeast. Nearly several blocks after this the US 1/23/SR 4 has a major intersection with Georgia State Route 32 (16th Street), and South Pierce Street becomes North Pierce Street. Among the structures along this segment, it passes by a former school converted into a welcome center, then curves to the northwest after Sixth Street. After passing through the preserved land around the Bear Branch of Hurricane Creek, the road encounters the northern terminus of SR 4 Alt. at North Dixon Street, replacing the straight north trajectory of the business route. US 1/23/SR 4 turns from straight north to north-northeast where it leaves the Alma City Limits as it crosses the Curtis Lee Marion Bridge over the Hurricane Creek, evidently resuming its former name as Alma Highway, then curves straight north again to cross the Jauquion R. "Rab" Tanner Bridge over the Hurricane Creek Overflow, and remains that way for the next . After the road becomes a divided highway again north of a dirt road named Tadpole Trail, US 23 splits off to the northwest onto Georgia State Route 19, while US 1/SR 4 continues in a northeasterly direction, and crosses into Appling County. Alma Highway follows the US 23/SR 19 designation, in fact the former right-of-way for Alma Highway can be found in the back yard of a gas station/convenience store named for the split between the two routes.

North from Bacon County

Throughout much of this segment, US 23/SR 19 has standard rural Georgia surroundings, with its mix of wooded areas, local farmland, and intersections with mostly dirt roads. These routes also cross the Bacon-Appling County line, and then the Appling- Jeff Davis County Line. The routes return to the Jeff Davis County again where they later they cross a bridge over the Little Satilla Creek, and another bridge over the Big Satilla Creek before entering community of Satilla. No major intersections exist within this community, and very few other paved roads exist. Nearing Hazlehurst, Alma Highway continues into the southern terminus of US 23 Bus./ SR 135 Conn., while US 23/SR 19 turns right onto Larry Contos Boulevard, taking part of US Truck Route 221/ SR 135 Truck with it. From there, it passes by a power plant on the west side. The route officially enters the Hazlehurst City Limits between Currie Street and a railroad crossing for a former Southern Railway line (now the Norfolk Southern Railway's Brunswick District). Larry Contos Boulevard ends at US 341/ SR 27 (a divided four-lane highway Designated the Golden Isles Parkway), and US 23/SR 19 turns northwest along this route. The first notable site along this segment is the combined Hazlehurst Fire Department and the Hazlehurst — Jeff Davis County Chamber of Commerce building on the northeast corner of Oak Street. Two block later, it crosses another railroad line just east of Walnut Street. Two blocks after this, it intersects with northbound US 221 and the north end of US BUS 23, and the truck routes for US 221/ SR 135 officially comes to an end. US 23/341 and northbound US 221 run for one block until the routes curve to the north at East Coffee ( SR 19 Conn.) and West Jamar Streets, and northbound US 221 finally joins the southbound road once again at North Tallahassee Street, while southbound US 221 continues southbound along South Tallahassee Street.

The routes cross the Jeff Davis- Telfair County line by passing over the Dr. C. R. Youmans Memorial Bridge over the Ocmulgee River

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