The state of Georgia could soon consider building a new bypass in west Georgia that would encourage heavier traffic and tractor-trailers to avoid US Highway 27 and the city of Carrollton.

“We are putting inter-modal ports all over the state to relieve the traffic that is coming out of Savannah… and the next one that is coming in is in the LaGrange area,” State Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan told WLBB Radio. “So, it’s obvious (Haulers) are going to look at Highway 27 to go both east to 75/85… but, also north to I-20. What I do not want to do is wait until we have traffic problems to look at how to divert that traffic around Carrollton on Highway 27. We need to start looking at that now.”

An intermodal hub or intermodal terminal is a logistics platform specialized in the transfer of unitized cargo, namely freight loaded onto intermodal transport units, shifting from one mode of transport to another.

The state believes that intermodal is an important growth engine, both for the railroads and as a method of how the shippers want to move their freight.

Dugan says the state could begin discussing plans for the new bypass as early as 2023.

“The benefit for Carrollton is that you will not have these traffic jams going through town, like you see in a lot of other different areas,” Dugan said. “You look at places that have congestion—especially with semis… and semis are vital for the transportation of goods right now… but you look at it and go ‘why didn’t they think about the potential traffic congestion years ago?’ That’s where we are. We are 10-15 years out of having a significant issue and we need to put a plan in place now.”

Dugan currently believes a bypass would be more beneficial on the west side of Carrolton, because the traffic corridor between Villa Rica and Carrollton on the east is already heavily traveled. But, he said, “We will obviously leave the final decision up to the experts and engineers at the G-DOT.”