Interstate 985
Interstate 985 links the Atlanta Metro area with Gainesville. As a spur of Interstate 85, it leaves its parent route at Interstate 85 - Exit 113. Heading northeast, the freeway culminates at its junction with Georgia 369 near Gainesville. The freeway carries a 70 mph speed limit and is four lanes. Interstate 985 was signed as an Interstate Highway in 1985, but the freeway was constructed in the 1960s. When constructed, it was originally signed as U.S. 23 and Georgia 365.
According to Steve Williams, Georgia Highways webmaster, until 1985, Interstate 985 was simply Georgia 365. At the first exit (Georgia 20 - former Exit 1), U.S. 23 joins Georgia 365. Once the limited access portion ends in Gainesville, the highway was signed as U.S. 23/Georgia 365 to Cornelia. Georgia 365 eventually splits north of Cornelia, joining Georgia 17 and U.S. 123 as it goes through Toccoa and ending at the South Carolina line, where U.S. 123 continues toward Greenville). Locals have known the highway for years as simply "365," but they started referring to the limited access portion as "985" once it was signed accordingly.
Like all Interstate and U.S. Highways in Georgia, Interstate 985 is designated with a secret Georgia State Route designation. Interstate 985 is secretly Georgia 365, and this number is occasionally shown on Georgia state maps even though it is not consistently signed. Even U.S. 23 is not consistently signed on its shared section with Interstate 985.
| Interstate 985 North
|
|---|
| Entering the final mile of Interstate 985 near the city of Gainesville (pop. 25,578). Exit 24 represents represents the northern conclusion of the freeway spur. U.S. 23 meanwhile continues northeastward as a partial-access expressway with interchanges for U.S. 441, Business U.S. 441, and U.S. 123 in the Cornelia and Toccoa vicinities. Photo taken 10/15/01
|
| Interstate 985 draws to a close at Georgia 369 (Old Cornelia Highway). Georgia 369 acts a conduit into Gainesville to U.S. 129. The state highway itself also concludes at this interchange. The connection with U.S. 129 (Cleveland Highway) facilitates motorists northward into the Appalachian Mountains to the town of Cleveland (pop. 1,907). Photo taken 10/15/01
| | Interstate 985 South
|
|---|
| Southbound beginning of Interstate 985 as seen from U.S. 23. The first three interchanges of the freeway serve the city of Gainesville. Exit 24 composes the first interchange of Interstate 985 with Georgia 369 (Old Cornelia Highway). Via connections with U.S. 129 and Georgia 53, Georgia 369 provides a link to the town of Cumming (pop. 4,220). This northern Atlanta suburb
is located west of Lake Lanier along the U.S. 19/Georgia 400 freeway corridor. Photo taken 10/15/01
|
| The first southbound reassurance shield of Interstate 985. U.S. 23 overlaps with the freeway for 20 of 20 miles. However the federal highway is omitted from mainline stand-alone shields. Photo taken 10/15/01
|
| U.S. 23 returns to its pre-freeway routing at the city of Buford (pop. 10,668). The diamond interchange of Exit 4 is the final mainline interchange of Interstate 985 southbound. Traffic that does not depart here will default onto Interstate 85 southbound in three miles. Motorists wishing to access Interstate 85 northbound are advised to take Georgia 20 southward between the
Exit 4 interchange of Interstate 985 to the Exit 115 interchange of Interstate 85. Photo taken 10/15/01
|
|
