U.S. Route 76 in Georgia

U.S. Route 76 (US 76) is a 150.7 mi east–west U.S. highway in the U.S. state of Georgia. It begins at the Tennessee state line, east of Lakeview, Georgia (and in East Ridge, Tennessee), where the roadway continues concurrent with US-41/SR-8 toward Chattanooga. It ends at the South Carolina state line, where US 76 continues toward Anderson. In Georgia, the highway travels within portions of Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Gilmer, Fannin, Union, Towns, and Rabun counties. It travels through North Georgia and connects Ringgold, Dalton, Chatsworth, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, and Clayton. Most of the highway is part of the Lookout Mountain Scenic Highway, a highway that travels through northern Georgia and through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

Route description
US 76 traverses the northern part of the state and passes through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and Georgia's most mountainous region. US 76 passes through Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Gilmer, Fannin, Union, Towns, and Rabun counties.

The following portions of US 76 in Georgia are part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense:
 * From I-75 southeast of Ringgold to about Tunnel Hill
 * From I-75 in the northwestern part of Dalton to the eastern end of the US 23/US 441 concurrency in Clayton.  This includes the entire length of SR 282, which is completely concurrent with US 76 from an intersection with US 411/SR 61 and the southern terminus of Smyrna–Ramhurst Road East in Ramhurst to an intersection with SR 5/SR 515 and the northern terminus of First Avenue in East Ellijay.

Tennessee state line to Rocky Face
The highway enters Georgia from Chattanooga while concurrent with US 41. Facing south, SR 8 ends while SR 3 begins from that point. Just after the state line is an intersection with SR 146 which provides access to I-75. US 76/US 41/SR 3 enters Indian Springs where the highway encounters no major intersections aside from Graysville Road at a roundabout. Once the highway enters Ringgold, SR 2 joins the highway. Shortly after the intersection, US 76/US 41/SR 3/SR 2 intersects SR 151 which also joins the concurrency. Once US 76/US 41/SR 3/SR 2/SR 151 enters the center of Ringgold, SR 151 leaves the concurrency while US 76/US 41/SR 3/SR 2 exits Ringgold roughly paralleling I-75. Before the highway crosses Hurricane Creek, SR 2 leaves the concurrency and continues alone as Catoosa Parkway. US 76/US 41/SR 3 continues south and encounters I-75. Shortly afterwards, US 76/US 41/SR 3 passes through Turner Hill and joins SR 201. US 76/US 41/SR 3/SR 201 exits the location and heads towards Rocky Face with SR 201 leaving the concurrency and the other highways heading towards I-75.

Rocky Face to Blue Ridge
After the interchange with I-75, the highways head toward Dalton and intersect SR 71. Shortly after the intersection, before exiting Dalton US 76 leaves US 41/SR 3 and starts a concurrency with SR 52. US 76/SR 52 enters Chatsworth and starts another concurrency with US 411/SR 2, The concurrency lasts until East Fort Street, where SR 2/SR 52 exits the concurrency. Near Dennis, US 76 leaves the concurrency and merges with SR 282. The highway then enters Ellijay and intersects Old SR 5. Shortly afterwards, the highway starts another concurrency with SR 2, SR 5 and SR 515. US 76/SR 2/SR 5/SR 515 passes through White Path and Cherry Log with no major junctions. Entering Blue Ridge, SR 5 leaves the concurrency. Shortly afterwards, the concurrency intersects SR 60 and leaves Blue Ridge. Later on, US 76/SR 2/SR 515 intersects SR 325 and later crosses the Coosa River.

Youngstown to Hiwassee
US 76/SR 2/SR 515 heads towards Youngstown with no major intersections. The highway enters the city and then US 19/US 129/SR 11 join the concurrency but later leave once the highways reach Glenn Gooch Bypass. US 76/SR 2/SR 515 continues through the mountain region with no major intersections until Young Harris where the highway intersects SR 66. After the intersection, SR 515 breaks away from the Concurrency while SR 17 joins it. US 76/SR 2/SR 17 continues and parallels the river and intersects SR 288. The highway continues toward Hiwassee and overlaps SR 75. The highway then exits Hiwassee and heads toward Macedonia.

Macedonia to South Carolina state line
US 76/SR 2/SR 17/SR 75 passes through the Bell Mountain and intersects SR 288; shortly afterwards, SR 17/SR 75 leaves the concurrency and US 76/SR 2 heads through more of the Blue Mountains region. Most of the Region having no major intersections. Shortly after the Popcorn Overlook is an intersection with SR 197. US 76/SR 2 continues east and heads towards Clayton and crosses over Lake Burton. Entering Clayton, US 76/SR 2 has a short overlap with US 23/US 441/SR 15 before exiting Clayton on its own. The highway passes near Southeastern Expeditions and then crosses the Chattooga River and enters South Carolina. SR 2 ends once the highway crosses the state line.

1920s
The road that would eventually be designated as US 76 was established at least as early as 1919 as part of SR 3 from the Tennessee state line to Dalton, and SR 2 from Dalton to Clayton, and possibly farther to the east. Georgia's 1921 state map didn't show the Chatsworth–Blairsville segment of SR 2. However, it did show SR 2 on a proposed path from Clayton to Pine Mountain. It also showed SR 65 proposed along the current path of SR 28 from Pine Mountain to the South Carolina state line. By the end of 1926, SR 2 was paved from Blue Ridge to a point about halfway between there and Blairsville. Also, the proposed section, east of Clayton, was removed from the map

1930s
By the beginning of 1932, SR 3 was paved from the Tennessee state line to Dalton. US 41 was established along this segment. SR 2 was paved from Blairsville to Hiawassee. SR 2 was built from Chatsworth to Ellijay. SR 5 was designated along the Ellijay–Blue Ridge segment. In January, SR 2/SR 5 were paved from about Cherry Log to Blue Ridge. By August, SR 2 was built from Clayton to the South Carolina state line on its current alignment. By January 1935, US 76 was designated along SR 2 from Chatsworth to Blairsville and from just east of Hiawassee to Clayton. It is unclear if US 76 was designated between Blairsville and the Hiawassee area or east of Clayton. Between July and October, US 76/SR 2/SR 5 were paved from Ellijay to Cherry Log. By October 1936, US 76/SR 2 were paved from Dalton to Chatsworth. At the end of the year, there were two small sections of US 76/SR 2 just west of Blairsville and just west of Clayton, that were paved. By the middle of January 1938, a very small section, in the vicinity of Lake Burton, was paved. The middle of the next year had the section of US 76/SR 2 from the Fannin–Union county line to Blairsville was paved. Later that year, a small section of US 76/SR 2, from just east of Lake Burton to Clayton, was paved.

1940s
In the beginning of 1940, the paved section near Lake Burton was expanded slightly. By October, US 76/SR 2 were paved from east of the location of the current SR 197 intersection to Clayton. At the end of the year, US 76/SR 2 were paved from Hiawassee to the approximate location of where the Appalachian Trail crosses the highway today. In 1946, US 76 was designated along SR 2 from Dalton to Chatsworth. By the middle of 1948, SR 2 was paved from Clayton to about halfway between there and the South Carolina state line. The beginning of the next year found US 76 was designated along the section of SR 3 from Ringgold to Dalton. SR 2 was moved to an alignment near the Tennessee state line, traveling through modern-day Varnell and Crandall. SR 52 took its place between Dalton and Ellijay (it already was concurrent with SR 3 from the Ringgold area to Dalton and SR 5 from Ellijay to Blue Ridge). The entire section of US 76/SR 52, from Chatsworth to Ellijay, was paved.

1950s to 1980s
By the end of 1950, US 76/SR 2 were paved from Hiawassee to just east of the Towns–Rabun county line. Also, SR 2 was paved from Clayton to the South Carolina state line. By the middle of 1954, the entire length of roadway, from Tennessee to South Carolina, was paved. 1957 found SR 282 built along the current path of US 76, but only from the Murray–Gilmer county line to Ellijay. By 1966, US 76 was designated along US 41/SR 3 from Tennessee to Dalton. In 1969, SR 282 was extended west to an intersection with US 411/SR 61 southeast of Ramhurst. In 1971, US 76/SR 52 were rerouted west of Chatsworth. Before, they bypassed Spring Place. Northwest of the town, they were routed south into town and entered Chatsworth farther south than it previously did. The former route was re-designated as SR 52 Connector. In 1981, US 76 was rerouted between Chatsworth and Ellijay. In Chatsworth, US 76 turned south-southeast, along US 411/SR 61. In Ramhurst, it turned east onto a slightly re-routed SR 282 and followed that route to Ellijay. In 1987, US 76/SR 2 between Hemp and Blairsville was routed on a farther-north, and more direct, path. In 1989, SR 515 was signed along US 76 from East Ellijay to northeast of Young Harris, as it is today.