North Carolina Highway 106 - Georgia State Route 246

Infobox road
state=GA
type=
route=246


length_mi=5
length_ref=
length_round=0
established=
direction_a=East
direction_b=West
starting_terminus=
junction=
ending_terminus= city limit
counties=Rabun
previous_route=245
next_route=247

Infobox road
state=NC
type=
route=106


length_mi=11
length_ref=
length_round=0
established=1940
direction_a=East
direction_b=West
starting_terminus=
junction=
ending_terminus=
counties=Macon
previous_route=105
next_route=107

Georgia State Route 246 and North Carolina Highway 106 are actually a single road that runs from U.S. Route 23-441 / SR 15 at Dillard, Georgia, northeast to U.S. Route 64 / NC 28 (Franklin Road westbound and Main Street eastbound) in Highlands, North Carolina, opposite First Street. It crosses the state line five times in a short distance as it winds around the mountains through switchbacks. It is known as Highlands Road in Rabun County, Georgia and Dillard Road in Macon County, North Carolina.

It is an unusual highway in Georgia because a portion of the highway is actually located in North Carolina. Even the North Carolina portion of the road is maintained by the Georgia Department of Transportation rather than NCDOT. The highway starts north of Dillard and climbs through the mountains to Sky Valley, Georgia, which is only accessible via an intersection in North Carolina (or via dirt road from the south). This mountainous route features scenic overlooks and waterfalls such as Estatoah Falls. It also passes the Scaly Mountain community and former ski area between Sky Valley and Highlands.

Previously there were five sets of "welcome" signs announcing the crossings of the state line. There is now only a single pair of signs (either at the middle or easternmost crossing), but with very small signs like mileposts marking each intermediate crossing, with GA or NC written from top to bottom instead of numbers.

The portion of Georgia 246 starting at US 441 and ending at the entrance to Sky Valley became known as the Larry McClure Highway in 1999, after Larry McClure, who built Sky Valley Resort.

Sources

* [http://tomcat2.dot.state.ga.us/RoadName_Resolution/byCounty.cfm State road names in Rabun County]
* [http://psr.southeastroads.com/ga246_profile.htm Peach State Roads]
* [http://www.broc.state.ga.us/legis/1999_00/leg/fulltext/hr840.htm 1999 resolution naming highway]

External links

* [http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/ga246.html Profile on MotorcycleRoads.US]