Georgia State Route 11


State Route 11 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Georgia, traveling through portions of Echols, Lanier, Berrien, Irwin, Ben Hill, Wilcox, Pulaski, Houston, Peach, Bibb, Jones, Jasper, Newton, Walton, Barrow, Jackson, Hall, White, Lumpkin, and Union counties. It travels the entire length of the state from south to north, connecting the Florida state line with the North Carolina state line, roughly bisecting the state into two equal parts. It travels through Warner Robins, Macon, and Gainesville. It is the longest route in the state. The portion from the southeastern city limits of Monticello to the Jasper–Newton county line is included in the Monticello Crossroads Scenic Byway.

Route description

The route begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville. The route travels north concurrent with US 129 through Statenville, Lakeland, Nashville, Ocilla, Fitzgerald, and Abbeville, before arriving in Hawkinsville. In Hawkinsville, SR 11 departs US 129 and runs concurrent with US 341 northwest to Perry. There, SR 11 departs and runs concurrent with US 41, and eventually, US 129 again, north to Macon. SR 11 leaves Macon concurrent with US 129 and SR 22. In Gray, SR 11 departs, and travels north, without being concurrent with a U.S. Highway. In Jefferson, the route again runs concurrent with US 129. The two routes continue north, passing through Gainesville. Further north, SR 11 and US 129 are joined by US 19. The three routes climb over and descend the mountains, and continues north to the North Carolina state line, where SR 11 meets its northern terminus.
The following portions of SR 11 are part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense:
  • The segment concurrent with US 341 from Hawkinsville to Perry and US 341 Byp. in Perry
  • From the split of US 80/SR 87 and US 129/SR 11 in Downtown Macon over the Ocmulgee River to the point where it leaves the northern city limits of the city
  • From the southern intersection with US 29 Bus./SR 8 and SR 53 to the intersection with SR 82 in Winder
  • From the southern end of its concurrency with US 129 in Jefferson to its northern terminus

    History

1920s

SR 11 was established at least as early as 1919. It started at an intersection with SR 7 at the Florida state line, southwest of Statenville and ended at SR 12 in Covington. It was also designated from SR 12 in Social Circle through Gainesville and north-northwest to SR 9 in Dahlonega. There was no indication if the two segments were connected via a concurrency with SR 12 or if they were separate. By the end of 1921, both segments were indicated to be connected by a concurrency with SR 12 between Covington and Social Circle. The portions of SR 11 and SR 43 north of Gainesville were swapped. That meant that SR 11 headed north-northeast from Gainesville to Cleveland, then west-northwest to SR 9 in Turners Corner. SR 9 and SR 11 traveled concurrently north-northeast and then north-northwest to Blairsville, where SR 9 ended. Then, SR 11 had a western curve before reaching the North Carolina state line. By the end of 1926, SR 11's southern terminus was then at the Florida state line, but south-southeast of Statenville. US 341 was designated on the Hawkinsville–Perry segment. US 41 was designated on the Perry–Macon segment. US 129 was designated on two segments: the Macon–Gray and Jefferson–Gainesville segments. US 270 was designated on the Gainesville–North Carolina segment. SR 12 between Covington and Social Circle was shifted southeast and off of SR 11. Three segments had a "completed hard surface": from Ocilla to Fitzgerald, from Echeconnee to east-northeast of Macon, and in the north-northeast part of Gainesville. Three segments had a "completed semi hard surface": a segment south-southwest of Echeconnee, from just east of the White–Lumpkin county line to Turners Corner, and from just north of Turners Corner to North Carolina. Six segments had a "sand clay or top soil" surface: from east-northeast of Macon to Gray, from south of Monticello to north-northwest of that city, a small portion southeast of Covington, from Monroe to Jefferson, nearly the entire Hall County portion of the Jefferson–Gainesville segment, from the north-northeast part of Gainesville to just east of White–Lumpkin county line. Six segments were indicated to be under construction: from Fitzgerald to the Ben Hill–Wilcox county line, a segment northwest of Hawkinsville, from Perry to south-southwest of Echeconnee, from south-southeast of the Jones–Jasper county line to south of Monticello, a small portion south-southeast of Covington, and a segment north-northwest of Jefferson. By the end of 1929, US 19 was designated on the Gainesville–North Carolina segment. US 270 was decommissioned. From south-southeast of the Jones–Jasper county line to the Jasper–Newton county line, the highway had a completed semi hard surface. The Social Circle–Monroe segment had a sand clay or top soil surface. Two segments were indicated to be under construction: a segment south-southeast of Covington and a segment southwest of Social Circle.

1930s

By the middle of 1930, five segments of the highway had a completed hard surface: from Fitzgerald to just north of the Ben Hill–Wilcox county line, from north-northwest of Hawkinsville, from Perry to Gray, a segment in the southwest part of Jefferson, and from north-northeast of Gainesville to the North Carolina state line. Later that year, a segment in the southwestern part of Social Circle had a completed hard surface. Two segments had a sand clay or top soil: from Social Circle to Winder and from Jefferson to Gainesville. Three segments were indicated to be under construction: the Pulaski County portion of the Abbeville–Hawkinsville segment, nearly the entire Houston County portion of the Hawkinsville–Perry segment, and from Winder to the southwestern part of Jefferson. By the end of the next year, US 19 south of Turners Corner was shifted west and off of SR 11. Four segments had a completed hard surface: from Hawkinsville to Perry, a segment north-northwest of Monticello, from Winder to Jefferson, and nearly the entire Gainesville–North Carolina segment. The entire Pulaski County portion of the Abbeville–Hawkinsville segment had completed grading, but no surface course. Three segments were indicated to be under construction: the entire Berrien County portion of the Lakeland–Nashville segment, nearly the entire Wilcox County portion of the Fitzgerald–Abbeville segment, and a segment north-northwest of Monticello.
In March 1932, the Pulaski County portion of the Abbeville–Hawkinsville segment had a sand clay or top soil. Later that year, two segments had completed grading, but no surface course: nearly the entire Wilcox County portion of the Fitzgerald–Abbeville segment and the entire Pulaski County portion of the Abbeville–Hawkinsville segment. A small portion just south-southeast of the Wilcox–Pulaski county line was under construction. In August of that year, a portion north-northwest of Abbeville was under construction. The next month, nearly the entire Jasper County portion of the Monticello–Covington segment had a completed surface, while the Nashville–Alapaha segment was under construction. By the middle of 1933, two segments were indicated to be under construction: the Lakeland–Nashville segment and the entire Berrien County portion of the Alapaha–Ocilla segment. In June that year, the Lanier County portion of the Lakeland–Nashville segment had a completed hard surface. The next month, the Berrien County portion of the Lakeland–Nashville segment had completed grading, but was not surfaced. In August of that year, the Fitzgerald–Abbeville segment had a completed hard surface. At the end of the year, the entire segment from Gainesville to the North Carolina state line also had a completed hard surface. A few months later, from Nashville to the Berrien–Irwin county line, the highway had completed grading, but was not surfaced.
Two segments of SR 11 were indicated to be under construction: the Jasper County portion of the Gray–Monticello segment and the segment from Social Circle to Winder. Later that year, two segments had a completed hard surface: the Lanier County portion of the Lakeland–Ray City segment and a segment in Alapaha. Two segments had completed grading, but was not surfaced: the Ray City–Alapaha segment and the Berrien County portion of the Alapaha–Ocilla segment. At the end of the next year, US 129 was extended on SR 11 from Turners Corner to the North Carolina state line. Two segments had a completed hard surface: a segment north-northwest of Abbeville and the segment from east of Covington to Monroe. By the middle of 1935, three segments had a completed hard surface: nearly the entire Wilcox County portion of the Abbeville–Hawkinsville segment, a segment south-southeast of Hawkinsville, and the entire Jasper County portion. Three segments were indicated to be under construction: the entire Jones County portion of the Gray–Monticello segment, a segment north-northeast of Monroe, and the entire Hall County portion of the Jefferson–Gainesville segment. Later that year, a small portion just south of Ocilla had a completed hard surface. By the middle of 1936, two segments had a completed hard surface: the entire Wilcox County portion and the Newton County portion of the segment from Monticello to east of Covington. A few months later, two small segments had a completed hard surface: one just south of the Jones–Jasper county line and one just north-northwest of Monroe. The segment south of Statenville was under construction.
By the end of the year, the entire Pulaski County portion had a completed hard surface. A few months later, the Berrien County portion of the Alapaha–Ocilla segment had completed grading, but was not surfaced. By the middle of 1937, the portion south of Statenville also had this same treatment. A few months later, SR 11's Statenville–Lakeland segment was shifted eastward. It traveled through Stockton to a point east of Lakeland and turned left on SR 65 and then SR 31 to Lakeland. There, it continued its former path. The Berrien County portion of the Alapaha–Ocilla segment had a completed hard surface. By the end of the year, the Alapaha–Ocilla segment had a completed hard surface. A segment in Lakeland had completed grading, but was not surfaced. Three segments were indicated to be under construction: nearly the entire Echols County portion of the Statenville–Stockton segment, a segment north of Stockton, and the Barrow County portion of the Monroe–Winder segment. The next year, two segments had a completed hard surface: the Lakeland–Nashville segment and the Hall County portion of the Jefferson–Gainesville segment. Three segments had completed grading, but was not surfaced: the Lanier County portion of the Stockton–Lakeland segment, a segment from north-northwest of Monroe to Winder, and the Jackson County portion of the Jefferson–Gainesville segment. The Echols County portion of the Statnville–Stockton segment was indicated to be under construction. By the middle of 1939, two segments had a completed hard surface: the Nashville–Alapaha segment and a small portion southeast of the Jackson–Hall county line. From north-northwest of Monroe to Winder, SR 11 had a sand clay or top soil surface. The decade ended with the entire segment from the Florida state line to Lakeland having a completed hard surface.