U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is a U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Georgia. It travels from the Chattahoochee River at Georgetown to its eastern end, southwest of Brunswick. It travels through such cities as Cuthbert, Dawson, Albany, Sylvester, Tifton, Pearson, Waycross, and Nahunta.
In Georgia, every U.S. Highway has at least one state highway with which it travels concurrently. US 82 uses SR 50 from its western start to Dawson and SR 520 from Dawson to its eastern end.
SR 50 formerly extended across the state and ended in Jekyll Island. In 1981, it was truncated to Dawson, with its former path redesignated as SR 520. US 82 formerly ended in Midway. In 1989, US 82 and US 84 east of Waycross were swapped.
Route description Georgetown to Albany US 82 begins at the Alabama state line concurrent with SR 50. On the Alabama side of the state line, US 82 is concurrent with Alabama State Route 6 (SR 6). On the Georgia side of the state line, US 82/SR 50 head east through Georgetown to an intersection with SR 27/SR 39, where SR 39 begins a concurrency to the southeast. The three highways head east until SR 39 splits off to the south. US 82/SR 50 continue to the southeast until they reach an intersection with SR 266, just before entering Cuthbert. In the town, they intersect SR 216. On the east side of town is US 27/SR 1. On the extreme northern edge of Shellman is an intersection with SR 41. Here, they begin a brief concurrency. Just past Graves, SR 45 begins a concurrency until the three routes enter Dawson. In Dawson, there is an intersection with SR 520, where SR 50 ends, the concurrency with SR 45 ends, and the concurrency with SR 520 begins. At this point on to its eastern end, US 82 is 4 lane. A short distance later is an intersection with SR 55. The two highways head southeast until they reach Albany.
Albany to Tifton At the beginning of Albany, the two highways become a freeway known as Liberty Expressway. At the intersection with US 19/SR 3, which join the concurrency, US 19 Business/US 82 Business/SR 520 Business head south into downtown Albany. At the next exit is SR 91/SR 133. SR 133 joins the concurrency at this point. The five highways curve to the south, where US 82/SR 520 head east along with SR 300. Here, US 19/SR 3/SR 133/SR 300 continue south on the expressway. Just east of Albany, SR 300 leaves the concurrency to the northeast. US 82/SR 520 then intersect US 82 Business/SR 520 Business, where they both meet their eastern end. The concurrency heads to Sylvester. There, they meet SR 313, SR 33, and SR 112. The two routes continue east to Tifton.
Tifton to Waycross Just after entering Tifton, the two routes meet I-75, before intersecting US 319/SR 35. The two highways join the concurrency for about . In the downtown part of the town is US 41/SR 7/SR 125. After leaving the town, US 319/SR 35 leave the concurrency, while US 82/SR 520 continue to the east. Prior to entering Alapaha, the concurrent highways intersect US 129/SR 11. These highways join the concurrency until they leave in town about later. Farther to the east, in Willacoochee, US 82/SR 520 intersect SR 90 and then have a very brief concurrency with SR 135. In Pearson, the concurrency intersects US 221/US 441/SR 31/SR 64. SR 64 joins the concurrency for less than . Just prior to entering Waresboro is an intersection with SR 158. About later, US 1/US 23/SR 4 join the concurrency for about . About after the beginning of the US 1/US 23/SR 4 concurrency is SR 122. Then, the concurrency enters Waycross.
Waycross to eastern ending In Waycross, the concurrency meets US 84/SR 38, which join for about . Approximately later, US 1/US 23/SR 4 depart to the southeast, while US 82/SR 520 head to the east. At this same intersection, US 1 Business/US 23 Business/SR 4 Business head to the northwest. Southeast of Waycross is SR 177, which leads to Laura S. Walker State Park and the Okefenokee Swamp. In Hoboken, is an intersection with SR 15/SR 121. Farther to the east, in Nahunta is US 301/SR 23. In Atkinson is an intersection with SR 259 and a very brief concurrency with SR 110. Approximately later, US 82/SR 520 meet the western end of SR 99. Then, they have an intersection with US 17/SR 25, along with SR 303. This intersection marks the eastern end of US 82 and the southern end of SR 303, while US 17/SR 25/SR 520 head southeast.
National Highway System The entire length of US 82 in Georgia is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense. This includes the entire length of SR 50, which is entirely concurrent with US 82 from the Alabama state line to Dawson.
History 1920s The roadway that would eventually become US 82 was established at least as early as 1919 as SR 32 from Dawson through Albany and into Sylvester. It was also designated as SR 46 from Sylvester to Tifton and SR 38 from Waycross, through Blackshear and Jesup, and ended in Hinesville. By the end of 1921, SR 50 was designated from Georgetown through Cuthbert, Dawson, Albany, Sylvester, Tifton, Alapaha, Pearson, Waycross, and Hoboken, and ended at the SR 27 intersection northwest of Brunswick. This truncated SR 32 at Ashburn and absorbed all of SR 46. Also, the portion of SR 38 northeast of Hinesville was shifted southeast to end at SR 25 east-southeast of Hinesville. By the end of 1926, US 84 was designated on SR 50 east of Waycross. The eastern terminus of US 84/SR 50 was then indicated to be at the US 17/SR 25 northwest of Brunswick. The crossing of the Altamaha River between Jesup and Ludowici was indicated to have "no bridge or ferry". Two segments of SR 50 had a "completed hard surface": the eastern part of Albany and west-northwest of Sylvester. Six segments of SR 50 and one segment of SR 38 had a "completed semi hard surface": the southeastern part of Georgetown, east-southeast of Cuthbert, west-southwest of Dawson, east-southeast of Albany, the Worth County portion of the Sylvester–Tifton segment, west-northwest of Waycross, and from Waycross to Blackshear. Three portions of SR 50 and two segments of SR 38 had a "sand clay or top soil" surface: from Dawson to a point northwest of Albany, west-northwest of Pearson, west of Nahunta, from Blackshear to a point southwest of Jesup, and the western half of the Hinesville–Midway segment. One segment of SR 50 and two segments of SR 38 were indicated to be under construction: west-northwest of Albany, the Wayne County portion of the Jesup–Ludowici segment, and the eastern half of the Hinesville–Midway segment. By the end of 1929, three segments of SR 50 and one segment of SR 38 had a completed hard surface: the southeast part of Georgetown, from Dawson to a point northwest of Albany, from west-northwest of Waycross into the city, and from Waycross to Blackshear. The segment of SR 38 from Jesup to Ludowici had a completed semi hard surface. Three segments of SR 50 and two segments of SR 38 had a sand clay or top soil surface: southeast of Georgetown, from Cuthbert to Dawson, from west of Nahunta to east-northeast of that city, from about Patterson to about Screven, and from Hinesville to Midway. From about Screven to Jesup, SR 38 had completed grading. Five segments of SR 50 and one segment of SR 38 were indicated to be under construction: from a point northwest of Albany to just south of the Lee–Dougherty county line, the Atkinson county line portion of the Tifton–Pearson segment, west-northwest of Waycross, east-northeast of Waycross, from east-northeast of Nahunta to the eastern terminus of US 84/SR 50, and northeast of Blackshear.
1930s