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:Georgia State Route 515

{{Short description|Highway in Georgia}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox road

|state=GA

|type=SR

|route=515

|alternate_name=Zell Miller Mountain Parkway

|map={{maplink-road|from=Georgia State Route 515.map}}

|map_custom=yes

|map_notes=SR 515 highlighted in red

|length_mi=76.2

|length_ref={{Google maps|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=GA-5+N%2FGA-515+E%2FState+Hwy+5+N%2FState+Hwy+515+E%2FState+Route+5+N%2FState+Route+515+E%2FHwy+5+N%2FHwy+515+E%2FRte+5+N%2FRte+515+E%2FState+5+N%2FState+515+E&daddr=GA-17+N&hl=en&ll=34.653545,-84.127808&spn=1.134186,1.766052&sll=34.381424,-84.393156&sspn=0.001111,0.001725&geocode=FS6eDAIdgEH4-g%3BFT3dFQIdUekA-w&oq=Lake+Chatu&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=19&t=h&z=9|title=Route of SR 515|accessdate=February 23, 2013}}

|length_round=1

|established=1989

|direction_a=South

|terminus_a={{jct|state=GA|I|575|SR|5|SR-Bus|5|dab3=Ball Ground|SR|372}} west of Nelson

|junction={{Plainlist|

}}

|direction_b=North

|terminus_b={{jct|state=GA|SR|17}} and {{jct|state=NC|NC|69}} at the North Carolina state line northwest of Hiawassee

|previous_type=SR

|previous_route=500

|next_type=I

|next_route=516

|counties=Pickens, Gilmer, Fannin, Union, Towns

}}

State Route 515 (SR 515) is a {{convert|76.2|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} four-lane C-shaped state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It uses a blue state route designation because it is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It begins just west of Nelson. It curves to the northeast to Lake Chatuge, where it heads north to the North Carolina state line. The highway was built to give motorists in the north Georgia mountains better access to Atlanta and its outlying suburbs, as opposed to the old SR 5 and U.S. Route 76 (US 76) highways, which this project replaced.

SR 515 is also known as the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway, in honor of Zell Miller, elected as Georgia governor and U.S. senator. It is one of the Georgia Department of Transportation's Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP) corridors. The highway is known for mountain views all along its route. SR 515 is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System's Corridor A, and is known as the "APD Highway." The highway was designated in 1989.

Route description

Image:Georgia State Routes 5 and 515 at overlook.jpg and SR 515 in northern Pickens County, Georgia]]

SR 515 begins just west of Nelson and just north of the Cherokee-Pickens County line, at the convergence of the northern terminus of Interstate 575, SR 5, the northern terminus of SR 5 Business, and the northern terminus of SR 372. It is concurrent with SR 5 from its southern terminus to Blue Ridge. It is also concurrent with US 76 from East Ellijay to a point between Young Harris and Hiawassee. It maintains a fairly strict south-north routing from its southern terminus to Blue Ridge and then becomes a due east-west route for the remainder of its length.

SR 515 is a significant route for the north Georgia mountains, funneling tourist traffic and serving as a growth corridor. SR 515 sees an Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) of more than 10,000 vehicles south of Blue Ridge, and at least 5,000 on the entirety of the route.{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/plan-prog/transportation_data/mapproducts/Documents/Trafficflow_05.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925041916/http://www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/plan-prog/transportation_data/mapproducts/Documents/Trafficflow_05.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-25 }}

The entire length of SR 515, including the concurrent sections, 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.{{cite web|title=National Highway System: Georgia|url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/georgia/georgia_ga.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921013812/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/georgia/georgia_ga.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 21, 2015|format=PDF|publisher=United States Department of Transportation|date=May 8, 2009|access-date=February 23, 2013}}

History

{{Expand section|date=May 2014}}

The road that would eventually become numbered as SR 515 was established at least by 1919 along nearly the same alignment as it travels today. At the time, it was numbered as SR 5 from Nelson to Ellijay, SR 2 and possibly 5 from Ellijay to Blue Ridge, and SR 2 from Blue Ridge to the Young Harris area. The entire route was paved by this time.{{Cite GDOT map |year=1920 |access-date=February 23, 2013 }} In 1989, SR 515 was signed along its entire length.{{Cite GDOT map |year=1989 |access-date=February 23, 2013 }}{{Cite GDOT map |year=1990 |access-date=February 23, 2013 }}

Major intersections

{{mileposts}}

{{jcttop|state=GA|length_ref=}}

{{GAint

|county=Pickens

|cspan=4

|location=none

|mile=0.0

|type=incomplete

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR-Bus|5|dab1=Ball Ground|dir1=south|SR|372|dir2=south|city1=Nelson|city2=Ball Ground}}
{{jct|state=GA|I|575|dir1=south|SR|5|dir2=south|name2=SR 417|city1=Canton}}

|notes=Southern terminus; northern terminus of I-575; northern terminus of SR 5 Business/SR 372; southern end of SR 5 concurrency; SR 5 Bus. and SR 372 northbound has no access to I-575 and SR 5 southbound}}

{{GAint

|location=Jasper

|lspan=2

|mile=2.4

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|53|dir1=east|SR|108|name2=Waleska Highway|city1=Waleska|city2=Tate|location3=Reinhardt University|location4=Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge}}, Funk Heritage Center

|notes=Southern end of SR 53 concurrency}}

{{GAint

|mile=7.0

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|53|dir1=west|SR-Bus|53|dab2=Jasper|dir2=south|name2=West Church Street|city1=Fairmount|city2=Jasper|location3=Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge|location4=Historic Downtown Jasper Business District|extra=airport}}, Airport

|notes=Northern end of SR 53 concurrency}}

{{GAint

|location=none

|mile=12.3

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|136|city1=Resaca|city2=Talking Rock|location3=Carters Lake}}

|notes=interchange

}}

{{GAint

|county=Gilmer

|cspan=3

|location=none

|mile=19.7

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|382|dir1=west}}

}}

{{GAint

|location=East Ellijay

|lspan=2

|mile=24.9

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=GA|US|76|dir1=west|SR|2|dir2=west|SR|282|dir3=west|name3=First Avenue|to4=to|US|41|city1=Chatsworth|location2=Historic Downtown Ellijay}}

|notes=Southern end of US 76/SR 2 concurrency; eastern terminus of SR 282}}

{{GAint

|mile=25.5

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|52|location1=Fort Mountain State Park|location2=Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge}}

|notes=interchange

}}

{{GAint

|type=concur

|county=Fannin

|cspan=2

|location=Blue Ridge

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|5|dir1=north|name1=West First Street|city1=Epworth|city2=Downtown Blue Ridge}}

|notes=north end of SR 5 overlap

|mile=41.1}}

{{GAint

|location=none

|mile=45.1

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|60|name1=Lakewood Highway|location1=Murphy, NC|city2=Morganton}}

}}

{{GAint

|county=Union

|cspan=5

|location=none

|mile=55.9

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|325|dir1=north|name1=Nottely Dam Road|location1=Murphy, NC|location2=Nottely Dam}}

}}

{{jctbridge

|location_special=Nottely River

|mile=61.9

|mile2=

|bridge=Bridge}}

{{GAint

|location=Blairsville

|lspan=2

|mile=63.0

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=GA|US|19|dir1=north|US|129|dir2=north|SR|11|dir3=north|name3=Murphy Highway|location1=Murphy N.C.}}

|notes=South end of US 19/US 129/SR 11 concurrency; former northern terminus of US 129 Truck/SR 11 Truck

}}

{{GAint

|mile=63.5

|road={{jct|state=GA|extra=hospital}} Pat Haralson Memorial Drive – Union County Courthouse, Blairsville, Union General Hospital

|notes=Interchange

}}

{{Jctint

|location_special=Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

|mile=

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=GA|US|19|dir1=south|US|129|dir2=south|SR|11|dir3=south|name3=Glenn Gooch Bypass|city1=Cleveland|location2=Brasstown Bald}}

|notes=North end of US 19/US 129/SR 11 concurrency; former north end of US 129 Truck/SR 11 Truck concurrency

}}

{{GAint

|county=Towns

|cspan=4

|location=Young Harris

|mile=71.6

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|66|dir1=north|name1=Murphy Street}}

|notes=Southern terminus of SR 66}}

{{GAint

|location=none

|mile=75.0

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=GA|US|76|dir1=east|SR|2|dir2=east|SR|17|dir3=south|city1=Hiawassee}}

|notes=Northern end of US 76/SR 2 concurrencies; southern end of SR 17 concurrency}}

{{GAint

|location=none

|mile=76.0

|road={{jct|state=GA|SR|339|dir1=west|name1=Crooked Creek Road|location1=Warne, NC}}

|notes=Eastern terminus of SR 339}}

{{GAint

|location=none

|mile=76.2

|road={{jct|state=NC|NC|69|dir1=north|city1=Hayesville}}

|notes=North Carolina state line

}}

{{jctbtm|keys=concur,incomplete}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}

{{Commons category-inline}}

515

Category:Transportation in Pickens County, Georgia

Category:Transportation in Gilmer County, Georgia

Category:Transportation in Fannin County, Georgia

Category:Transportation in Union County, Georgia

Category:Transportation in Towns County, Georgia

Category:Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

Category:Appalachian Development Highway System