Hypocrisy in Route Debate

To the Editor,

The battle over the Georgia Department of Transportation’s proposed route (Route D-VE) for the costly 411 Connector is widely known by most residents in Bartow and Floyd counties. However, most are not aware of the fact that local officials and leaders have been promising motorists the direct connection to I-75 since 1963.

Readers also might be interested to learn in the 1960s and 1970s that Rome and Floyd County were fiercely opposed to the state’s selected, eastern alignment of I-75 through Bartow County. This final section of I-75 in Georgia was delayed for several years because Rome wanted a more westerly route, as it would bring the interstate west of Cartersville and closer to the city.

The arguments made by Rome’s opposition group, the I-75 West Committee, are loaded with irony when you compare them to the ongoing debate about the 411 Connector.

For example, the group claimed the westerly route would cut the project cost in half and would preserve natural areas and parks. They also argued the western route “would pass through less expensive terrain,” thus making it cheaper to build.

Additionally, the I-75 West Committee said the state’s proposed eastern route would involve several bridges, including a multi-million dollar crossing of Lake Allatoona, while a preliminary study – that was commissioned by the group – indicated a western route would involve fewer and less expensive structures. To that end, the extra bridges would require considerable maintenance which would cost taxpayers significantly more. The group also accused the state of not completing a “thorough comparative cost analysis of the alternative routes for I-75.” 

The bottom line is, any attempt by Rome and/or Floyd County to discredit opponents of Route D-VE as obstructionists, etc. could be viewed through the prism of history as hypocrisy. 

The folks opposing Route D-VE are making the same points the Rome and Floyd County folks made so many years ago, specifically: It makes no sense to waste millions (here, over $181 million) of taxpayer money and destroy a beautiful and environmentally fragile area, when a another alternative exists that will save that money, work just as well for motorists and get built faster.

Let’s build the U.S. 411 connector, but let’s build it smart. GDOT’s way (Route D-VE) is anything but smart, and we should not let bureaucratic inertia force bad decisions on us. 

Sincerely,

Leslie Crawford