U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is a U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Georgia. It travels south-to-north from the Florida state line, south of Statenville, to the North Carolina state line, northwest of Blairsville.
US 129 is signed concurrently with various state highways. Most of the highway is concurrent with State Route 11 (SR 11) at both the southern and northern terminus as well as in central part of the state. However, north of Hawkinsville, and into southern Macon, the highway travels along SR 247. Within Macon itself, it travels along parts of SR 87, and later SR 49, and from Macon to Gray, it also travels along SR 22. Between Gray and Eatonton, it travels along SR 44, to the Watkinsville area along Georgia State Route 24, SR 15 Alternate from Athens to Arcade, SR 11 Connector between Arcade and Jefferson, SR 365 and then SR 369 southeast of Gainesville, and SR 180 within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
Concurrencies with U.S. Highways include US 221 through the Lakeland area, US 82 through the Alapaha area, US 319 from Ocilla to Fitzgerald, US 341 through the Hawkinsville vicinity, US 41 north of Sofkee into southern Macon, US 41 Business in Macon, US 80 in Macon, US 23 in Macon, US 441 from Eatonton to Athens, US 278 near Madison, US 29 and US 78 in Athens, US 23 again in Gainesville (unsigned with Interstate 985) and US 19 from Turners Corner through the North Carolina state line to Topton.
Route description
Florida State Line through Ray City U.S. Route 129 begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville at the northwestern terminus of Florida State Road 100. The first intersection within the state is a local dirt road named Strickland Road. The route travels north concurrent with SR 11, and the rural surroundings that were found in northern Florida continue into Georgia. Aside from farmhouses and the fields they reside in, very little resemblance to development can be found until the routes reach downtown. A bi-directional connecting ramp can be found on the southwest corner of the intersection with Georgia State Route 94, while the county court house is on the southeast corner. Not long after this intersection, US 129 descends over the wetlands of Troublesome Creek, and curves to the northeast and re-enters farmland again. At a pair of farm fields, the road curves almost straight north. Along the way, the routes enter the community of Mayday and serves as the western terminus of Georgia State Route 187, whose intersection is shared by a local street named Norman Eva Road. Besides farms, forests and the occasional church, this segment of US 129/SR 11 passes over bridges for Cow Creek, and later Reedy Creek. The routes enter Stockton in the vicinity of Wayne Jones Honey Farm, but then approaches a railroad crossing with a CSX (formerly Atlantic Coast Line Railroad) line just before the eastbound lanes of US 84/SR 38. Shortly after this, it approaches the westbound lanes of US 84/SR 38, which has turning ramps on the northeast and northwest corners. Eventually leaving the city limits, they continue to run straight northeast until the intersection with Bennett Road, where the routes turn northwest, and even more so north of the intersection with Brantley Road. Just before the intersection with Georgia State Route 37C, the routes turn straight north again, only for the street to end at a "T" intersection with Georgia State Route 37, then turns west along SR 37, and encounters the northern terminus of SR 37C, and almost immediately has a wrong way concurrency with U.S. Route 221, which is also shared by State Routes 31 and 122. US 129/221/SRs 11/31/37/122 cross the Captain Henry Will Jones Bridge over the Alapaha River, then crosses another bridge over a tributary to that river named "Big Creek" where it officially enters Lakeland. For such a small city, Lakeland hosts a large cluster of US and state highways, many of which intersect or overlap US 129/11. The first one is North College Street, which serves as the southern (eastern) terminus of Georgia State Route 11 Bypass and the southern terminus of a concurrency with Georgia State Route 135 Bypass. Just two blocks later the wrong-way concurrency with SR 135 Bypass ends when that route makes a left turn onto Oak Street going south. Five blocks after this it has another concurrency with Georgia State Route 135 to the right on North Carter Street, and a mere 121 feet later turns south in the opposite direction on South Valdosta Road, along with southbound US 221. A block and a half later, SR 122 branches off at a fork in the road to the southwest towards Thomasville, while US 129/SRs 11/37 branches off to the northwest. The last group of routes are the northern terminus of Georgia Connecting Route 11 at North Pecan Street and the northern (western) terminus of SR 11 Bypass at West Church Avenue. West of the city limits, one last state route can be found in the county, specifically, the Georgia State Route 122 Connector. All other intersections along US 129/SRs 11/37 are local streets or county roads. Just after the routes cross the Lanier-Berrien County Line, they intersect Johnson Street Extension, and Myers Road, then runs through the forestland surrounding Beaverdam Creek before eventually entering Ray City, where it becomes Main Street, curves almost straight west, and serves as the southwestern terminus of Georgia State Route 64. After a railroad crossing, the concurrency with Georgia State Route 37 ends as US 129/SR 11 starts curving to the north and is joined by another concurrency, this time with Georgia State Route 125.
Ray City through Pineview The road moves away from the tracks just before entering Nashville where it is given the name South Davis Street. After the intersection with South Jefferson Street, it curves to the right and runs straight north. Two blocks later, Georgia State Route 76 joins the concurrency with US 129/SR 11/125 at the intersection of Adel Highway and Hazel Avenue. A former section of SR 76 (Adel Highway) can be seen just north of that intersection on the west side as a dead-end street. A flood channel also runs under the road where the former intersection used to exist. Further downtown, US 129/SRs 11/76/125 encounter the western terminus of Georgia State Route 168 at East McPherson Avenue. Two blocks later at the NRHP-listed Berrien County Courthouse, the concurrency with Georgia State Route 76 comes to an end as it turns east onto East Marion Avenue, while at the same intersection the concurrency with Georgia State Route 125 comes to an end as it turns west onto West Marion Avenue. From that point US 129/SR 11 becomes North Davis Street and runs through the rest of the city until passing by the Berrien Primary School and later after the intersection with North Magnolia Drive. After leaving the city, the name of the street changes from North Davis Street to Main Street, despite having none of the typical characteristics of such a street name. Instead it serves as a rural two-lane roadway passing through mostly agricultural and forested lands. It is at the intersection of West Lenox Road, which runs southwest, and a private farm road that runs southeast that the routes enter Alapaha. The road runs north-northeast within the town, and a few blocks after the intersection with East Brunswick Street, passes through the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad right-of-way that was converted into a town green, with the station converted into a firehouse. The road passes by the post office, then the Alapaha Baptist Church, and three blocks later, turns left at US 82/SR 520 (South Georgia Parkway). The concurrency leaves the town limits, and after a local farm supply store, US 129/SR 11 branches off to the northwest onto Alapaha Highway, while US 82 heads west to Albany, Georgetown, Montgomery, Alabama, and ultimately Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Meanwhile, US 129/SR 11 passes by some local farmland along with a dirt road, then after a cemetery enters some wetlands where it makes a slight curve to another northwest angle passing by a fish farm,Ken's Hatchery and Fish Farm then curves to the right before the intersection with Berrien County Road 246, then crosses the Captain Henry Will Jones Bridge over the Alapaha River and turns back to the northeast again. At the Berrien–Irwin County Line the road intersects the western terminus of Georgia State Route 158, then north of Tulip Road (Irwin CR 80) crosses a bridge over Reedy Creek. It then turns to the north-northwest between Green Road (Irwin CR 88) and Nash Lane (Irwin CR 265), then turns straight north at Hickory Road (Irwin CR 57). North of Cedar Grove Church Road (Irwin CR 246) the road enters the Ocilla City Limits. US 129/SR 11 curves slightly to the northeast before passing by the Irwin County Detention Center, then crosses a bridge over Stump Creek, and becoming Irwin Avenue as it turns straight north before approaching the intersection with Five Bridge Road and East Boulevard, the latter of which is where Georgia State Route 90 turns from west to north in a concurrency with US 129/SR 11. US 129/SRs 11/90 run north through a mostly residential area, where it passes the Ocilla-Irwin Chamber of Commerce, and north of that the historic Irwin County Courthouse between West First and West Second Street. US 319 and Georgia SR 32 are marked at Fourth Street, where northbound US 319 leaves its concurrency with eastbound SR 32 to join US 129.
South of Valdosta Lane, US 129/319/SRs 11/90 widens to four lanes with a center left-turn lane. The routes leave the city after the Ocilla Bethel Baptist Church. Between West Cargile and East Frank Roads, signs of an abandoned railroad crossing can be found. North of Aaron Drive, the road gets the name Fitzgerald Highway and serves as the location of sites such as the Ocilla Country Club, and then the Dill's Builder's Supply, but changes its name to Ocilla Highway after crossing a bridge over Willacoochee Creek, and shortly afterwards the Irwin-Ben Hill County Line. At Pine Level Church Road (Ben Hill CR 243), the routes curve from northeast to Northwest, and intersects Ed Ward Road, which leads to the Fitzgerald Municipal Airport and later the Turkey Creek Golf Course and Country Club. The routes officially enter the City of Fitzgerald at the intersection of Georgia State Route 107 where US 319 leaves the concurrency by turning right. North of there, US 129/SRs 11/90 pass through standard contemporary commercial zoning with fast food restaurants, shopping centers, and similar businesses as it crosses a railroad line and becomes Grant Street as it curves straight north, then splits into a one-way pair, when the northbound lanes shift onto Sherman Street. Between Cypress and Palm Streets, Sherman Street runs along the west side of Blue and Gray Park. Further downtown, both streets approach Central Avenue, a divided boulevard that provides a link between the northern terminus of Georgia State Route 125 and US 319. One block later, they cross level crossings with a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line. North of there, the roads run over flood channels at Chattahoochee Street. Though Grant Street remains straight north of East Ohoopee Street, Sherman Street turns to the northwest where SR 90 leaves the concurrency at West Sultana Drive, and Sherman Street becomes Wilson Avenue. The one-way pair ends as both roads curve to the northeast and becomes Bowens Mill Highway, although a local segment of Wilson Avenue resumes on the Grant Street side of this pair. After passing the Fitzgerald Nursing Home the road curves north again, cutting off a former segment of Bush Road and transforming into a frontage road between Jack Allen Road and Lower Rebecca/Joshlyn Road.