Benning Beltway (I-222 suggested)

Benning Beltway (I-222 suggested)

Start: Upper Bradley Place, GA – End: Motts, AL (Section not included in I-14/16 Extension and I-22 Extension)

Est. Length: 30 Miles (160 miles including I-14 & I-22 segments)

Benefits: Homeland Security, Economic Development, Environmental/Fuel, Existing Interstate

Connecting: GA: Columbus, Harris, Cataula, Waverly Hall, Talbot, Marion, Juniper, Chattahoochee, Cusseta, North Bradley Place. AL: Motts, Phenix City, Crawford, Fort Mitchell, Holy Trinity, Russell, Lee

Intersections: I-22 segment Motts, AL (merge); I-81 (I-185) Fortson, GA; I-14; I-81, Holy Trinity, AL; I-22, Motts, AL.

Description: Fort Benning, Georgia/Alabama is a major military installation with operations critical to the security of the United States of America. Fort Benning is also a primary economic engine for the Greater Columbus, Georgia market in West Georgia and East Alabama. While the base continues to be critical to the growth of the market, it is ironically at the same time a roadblock to growth in the southern metropolitan areas.

There is a need to cure the economic disadvantage for Chattahoochee and Marion counties in Georgia and others caused by the separation from the regional economic center of Columbus. An extension of Interstate-185 (I-81) (discussed here) would provide much needed transportation infrastructure to southern Georgia and Alabama. At the same time, new realities for maintaining security on base are maintaining a constantly open thoroughfare through Fort Benning impractical. Therefore, a suggested perimeter highway encompassing Columbus, much like the Atlanta Perimeter, but skirting around the entire military installation would provide much needed north/south access while allowing the Base to implement and maintain complete lock-down security when necessary.

An alternate proposal for both I-16 and I-14 suggests co-routing with I-85 to about Opelika/Auburn, Alabama. While this proposal has some merit, I-85 between Montgomery and Atlanta, Georgia is a heavily traveled Interstate and imposing the additional east-west traffic would most certainly require a widening project to and through downtown Montgomery which would be costly and disruptive. While there is a vital economic benefit to be had connecting the Columbus-Opelika-Auburn (COA) Combined Statistical Area with Interstate highway, the southern routes around the metro areas is likely the most cost effective routes. The opportunity to extend Interstate-22 from Birmingham, Alabama would ultimately provide the Interstate-link with the suggested I-222 Benning Beltway loop to connect the COA.

As discussed in the sections for I-14 and I-22, large portions of the I-222 Beltway’s creation would be constructed as segments of other new Interstates as the routes traverse the Columbus metropolitan area. Only the shortest western segment of the I-222 Benning Beltway will not be formed by the route of another newly created Interstate. Those portions of I-14 and I-22 encircling Columbus/Ft Benning would be co-signed I-222.

For Interstate commerce, the I-22 segment of the Beltway will provide much needed bridges over the Chattahoochee River between Harris County, Georgia and Lee County, Alabama in the north, and Chattahoochee County, Georgia and Russell County, Alabama in the south with the I-14 segment.