Final plans not expected until fall of 2026
A long-anticipated and somewhat contentious road project for Highway 411 from Rome to I-75 in Cartersville is stalled for two years as the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is still trying to acquire land.
Construction on the 411 project, which has been in discussion and planning stages for at least 25 years, was originally scheduled to begin this year. However, DOT officials now state that final plans for the project are slated to be finished in the fall of 2026.
The project is in the right-of-way acquisition and final design phase, according to a state sent through Joe Schulman, District 6 Communications Officer. Details and a video presentation can be found here.
The last update was the approval of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) decision document, according to the GCOT website on the project.
The Rome-Cartersville Development Corridor (GDOT PI#0013238) remains in purpose and intent with no significant changes, although exact details of the plan aren’t listed on the website.
The project’s purpose is three-fold, according to the GDOT. It is to better connect Floyd and Bartow counties with I-75. Improving the corridor to the interstate is expected to support both current businesses and help planned economic development. The RCDC is also to make room for increased future travel demand projected with population and employment growth in both Floyd and Bartow counties.
Along with that, the completion of the project is meant to ease congestion and allow for better truck routes by improving the route for freight movement. This will take some truck traffic off of other roads that truckers are using now because they are better suited although less direct.
Some of those with land that would need to be acquired for a 411 project mounted opposition 25 years ago when talk of a project began. Among their concerns were increased traffic near their homesteaded land and the low amount of money being offered by the state.