{{short description|Highway in Georgia}} {{About|the current state highway|the Interstate Highway|Interstate 59 in Georgia}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=GA |type=SR |route=59 |map={{maplink-road|from=Georgia State Route 59.map}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=SR 59 highlighted in red |length_mi=30.2 |length_ref=<ref name="Google">{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.233809,-83.452418/34.279852,-83.419095/34.291563,-83.408778/34.293775,-83.407355/34.344794,-83.315166/34.359232,-83.277423/34.359912,-83.26364/34.363435,-83.247886/34.36705,-83.242196/34.4681735,-83.0590102/@34.350672,-83.5359019,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m23!4m22!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m1!4e1!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en |title=Overview map of SR 59 |access-date=February 20, 2017 }}</ref> |length_round=1 |established= |direction_a=South |terminus_a={{jct|state=GA|US|441|US-Bus|441|dab2=Commerce|SR|15|SR-Alt|15|dab4=Athens–Commerce}} in Commerce |junction={{jct|state=GA|SR|106|SR|145}} in Carnesville |direction_b=North |terminus_b={{jct|state=GA|SR|77}} near Parkertown |counties=Jackson, Banks, Franklin, Hart |previous_type=I |previous_route=59 |next_type=SR |next_route=60 }}
'''State Route 59''' ('''SR 59''') is a {{convert|32.3|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} state highway that travels southwest-to-northeast through portions of Jackson, Banks, Franklin, and Hart counties in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The highway connects Commerce with SR 77 near the shore of Lake Hartwell, via Carnesville and Lavonia. It closely parallels Interstate 85 (I-85).
==Route description== SR 59 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 441 (US 441)/SR 15 (Homer Road) in the northeastern part of Commerce within Jackson County. This intersection also marks the northern terminus of US 441 Business/SR 15 Alternate, which take the Homer Road name. South of here, US 441/SR 15 are known as Veterans Memorial Parkway. Almost immediately, SR 59 enters Banks County. The only major intersections in the county are with the eastern terminus of SR 164 and the southern terminus of SR 63. In Franklin County, it intersects SR 51 before meeting the eastern terminus of SR 198. Less than {{convert|1|mi|km}} later, the highway intersects SR 106, which travels concurrent with it into Carnesville. In the city, SR 145 joins the concurrency for just over {{convert|1|mi|km}}. At the end of the concurrency, SR 59 splits off to continue its northeast routing. In Lavonia, SR 59 intersects SR 17, before meeting the northern terminus of SR 77 Connector. About {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} later, the road enters Hart County. It intersects SR 77 and the state highway ends.<ref name="Google"/> The road continues to the northeast and curves to the east before ending along the northwestern shore of Lake Hartwell.<ref name=GM_Lake_Hartwell>{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.4681866,-83.058993/34.4770958,-83.0255068/@34.4726632,-83.051003,15z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1?hl=en-US |title=Former routing of SR 59 to Lake Hartwell |link=no |access-date=February 20, 2017 }}</ref>
==History== {{Multiple issues|section=yes| {{Expand section|date=February 2016}} {{One source section|date=February 2017}} }} Before the construction of Lake Hartwell, SR 59 continued into South Carolina as South Carolina Highway 59 (SC 59). With the I-85 bridge less than {{convert|1|mi|km}} away from the old crossing, the states had no need to directly reconnect the roads. SR 59 is not concurrent with I-85 on either side of the lake and the two highways do not officially connect.
The section of SR 59 between SR 77 and the shoreline of Lake Hartwell was transferred to county maintenance between 1990 and 1993.<ref name=Hart1990s>{{cite web |url=http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/MapsData/Documents/CountyMapsArchive/Hart_1900s.zip |type=Zip |title=Hart County Georgia General Highway Map |publisher=Georgia Department of Transportation |accessdate=February 20, 2017}} *1990 ed. *1993 ed. </ref>
==Major intersections== {{jcttop|state=GA|length_ref=<ref name="Google"/>}} {{GAint |county=Jackson |location=Commerce |mile=0.0 |road={{jct|state=GA|US|441|SR|15|name2=Veterans Memorial Parkway|US-Bus|441|dab3=Commerce|dir3=south|SR-Alt|15|dab4=Athens–Commerce|dir4=south|name4=Homer Road|city1=Athens|city2=Homer|city3=Commerce}} |notes=Southern terminus of SR 59; northern terminus of US 441 Bus. and SR 15 Alt. }} {{GAint |county=Banks |cspan=2 |location=none |mile=3.9 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|164|dir1=west|road|Sims Bridge Road east|city1=Homer}} |notes=Eastern terminus of SR 164; western terminus of Sims Bridge Road }} {{GAint |location=none |mile=5.1 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|63|dir1=north|to2=y|I|85|city1=Toccoa}} |notes=Southern terminus of SR 63 }} {{GAint |county=Franklin |cspan=9 |location=none |mile=11.7 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|51|name1=Sandy Cross Road|city1=Homer|city2=Royston}} |notes=}} {{GAint |location=none |mile=14.2 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|198|dir1=west|road|Nelms Road east|city1=Cornelia}} |notes=Eastern terminus of SR 198; western terminus of Nelms Road }} {{GAint |location=none |mile=16.0 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|320|dir1=north|to2=y|I|85|city1=Toccoa}} |notes=Southern terminus of SR 320 }} {{GAint |location=Carnesville |lspan=3 |mile=16.4 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|106|dir1=south|name1=Athens Road|city1=Ila|city2=Athens}} |notes=Southern end of SR 106 concurrency }} {{GAint |mile=16.8 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|145|dir1=south|name1=Hull Avenue|location1=Health department}} |notes=Southern end of SR 145 concurrency }} {{GAint |mile=18.2 |type=concur |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|106|dir1=north|SR|145|dir2=north|to3=y|I|85|city2=Toccoa}} |notes=Northern end of SR 106 and SR 145 concurrencies }} {{GAint |location=Lavonia |lspan=3 |mile=26.3 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|17|name1=Augusta Road south / Jones Street north|city1=Royston|city2=Toccoa}} }} {{GAint |mile=26.5 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR-Conn|77|dab1=Lavonia|dir1=east|name1=Vickery Street|city1=Hartwell|location2=Hart State Park}} |notes=Western terminus of SR 77 Conn. }} {{GAint |mile=27.5 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|328|dir1=north|name1=Gumlog Road|city1=Toccoa}} |notes=Southern terminus of SR 328}} {{GAint |county=Hart |location=none |mile=30.2 |road={{jct|state=GA|SR|77|name1=Providence Church Road south / Whitworth Road north|road|Knox Bridge Crossing Road east|to3=y|I|85|noshield3=y|city1=Hartwell|location2=Hartwell Res.|location3=Anderson, SC}} |notes=Northern terminus of SR 59; western terminus of Knox Bridge Crossing Road; Knox Bridge Crossing Road is former SR 59 north. }} {{jctbtm|keys=concur}}
==See also== * {{portal-inline|Georgia (U.S. state)}} * {{portal-inline|U.S. roads}}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=inline,title}} {{commons category-inline|Georgia State Route 59}}
059 Category:Transportation in Jackson County, Georgia Category:Transportation in Banks County, Georgia Category:Transportation in Franklin County, Georgia Category:Transportation in Hart County, Georgia