U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, a 9th District Republican, received an earful of negative opinions Monday from Rabun County residents concerned about the proposed Interstate 3.

The interstate as originally proposed would go from Savannah to Augusta, then head northwest to Knoxville, Tenn., generally following existing roads.

One road, Highway 17 from Stephens County through the mountains to Towns County, has drawn the most ire from local residents.

Rabun County residents have voiced concern that the county may be viewed as an alternative route, especially since Highway 441 is being widened to four lanes all the way to the North Carolina border.

Norwood was in Dillard for an information session on local nonpartisan issues sponsored by the Rabun County Republican Party, said chairman Billy Johnson.

About 70 people packed into a room in The Cupboard Café to hear Norwood and to make their views known.

Norwood opened I-3 discussion by telling the crowd, "I am most uninterested in roads. That has never been one of those things I went to Washington about."

In explaining the genesis of the I-3 highway project and an associated I-14 project, (from Augusta to Natchez, Miss.), Norwood said former 12th District Congressman Max Burns proposed the projects two years ago.

Norwood said "a lot of people" asked that a study be conducted regarding Burns' interstate proposals.

Congress asked for $400,000 to be appropriated for each highway for the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct "a sensible study of what that might mean to the South," Norwood said. The study appropriation has been subsequently boosted to over $1.3 million for each highway project.

The highway study and whether the roads actually will be built goes beyond Northeast Georgia concerns, Norwood said. "It isn't just us. It's not just our district, but it involves a lot of Georgia and it involves six other states.

"The purpose of the study, as far as I am concerned is we need a cost/benefit analysis," he said.

Norwood said the study might prove the highways to be cost prohibitive, with too few benefits to be feasible. Under those circumstances, "I will fight against it tooth and nail."
Norwood also said the study would include an environmental impact study and proposed routes.

"I'm not sure if I'm for or against it at this point," Norwood emphasized. "And it would be helpful, maybe, if all of you would take that same attitude.

"When I know what's going on and have the facts I will come to you, county by county, and we will talk about what the facts are."

Norwood said he would follow his basic tenet of following the course supported by the majority of people in his district.

"If you're agin' it, then I'm going to be agin' it," Norwood said. "If the majority of you in the 9th district are for it, then I'm going to be for it."

"That doesn't mean that if the majority in Rabun County, Towns County, is against it coming through their area, I won't be for them too," Norwood said. "I'll fight like a dog to keep it out of your county if you don't want it in your county."

"Maybe in 18 months or two years we'll know some answers because it'll take that long," he added.

Norwood noted that the proposed interstates affected millions of people and involvement by at least 12 senators. "Keep that all in perspective," he said.

During questioning about the proposed interstate, Norwood said he didn't know details of how the study would be conducted.

Lucy Ezzard Bartlett, spokeswoman for the local Stop I-3 chapter, lamented lack of funding for future transportation modes, such as mass transit. Norwood disputed her assertion, saying billions of dollars in funding for mass transit were included in the transportation appropriations bill. A great deal of money will be going to Georgia, Norwood said.

Advised that a future Stop I-3 regional meeting would be an opportunity to gauge opposition to the interstate, Norwood said, "After this study comes out I am interested, very interested, in getting the pulse of my constituency.

"None of us have enough facts, other than to say, 'I just don't want a road'."

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