Getting Around Valdosta

By Bill Roberts
bill.roberts@gaflnews.com

VALDOSTA — Call it what you will — Winnersville, the Azalea City — Valdosta is one of Georgia’s most unique and rapidly expanding communities.

As the state’s 10th largest and southernmost city, Valdosta’s location off Interstate 75 provides a portal to Florida and easy access to Macon and Atlanta.

The city is scheduled to receive metropolitan status in the coming months which
city leaders expect to provide a host of new commercial and development
opportunities.

The city limits cover 30.76 square miles and Lowndes County hosts nearly 100,000 residents. Valdosta and Lowndes County serve as a retail hub for 1.2 million people in South Georgia and North Florida.

20 MILES FROM THE BORDER

Only 20 miles from the Florida border, Valdosta is a frequent stopping off point for travelers heading to the Sunshine State’s many tourist destinations. Valdosta itself is set an equal distance from the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the
Gulf of Mexico to the southwest.

Highway 84 is the main state highway in the area and runs east to west across the state. Recently announced plans to expand the
road’s capacity have planners hoping the road becomes an alternative to Interstate 10 for Southern travel.

STRAIGHT SHOT TO ALBANY

he state Department of Transportation also recently announced plans to expand
Highway 133 to create a “straight shot” corridor between Valdosta and Albany that is also expected to generate substantial commercial and tourist traffic as an east-west alternative to Interstate 16. St. Augustine Road, as Highway 133 is
called in Valdosta, is among the city’s busiest, carrying more than 30,000 cars per day.

NORTH-SOUTH TRAFFIC MOVERS

Within the city, Ashley and Patterson streets are the prime north-south traffic movers and travel through the heart of Valdosta. Traffic signals along Patterson Street are programmed to prefer southbound traffic, while Ashley Street is designed to move traffic north toward the county’s expanding population centers
along North Valdosta Road. There is also an extra travel lane in the preferred direction on each street.

Bemiss Road is another highvolume road that heads north out of the city toward Moody Air Force Base.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Future development plans call for extending Northside Drive east to Highway 122 to provide another route into the city. Valdosta’s location in south central Georgia creates mild winters and the well-drained soils make the area a prime farming
location. Agriculture continues to be a major economic engine.