I-985  Georgia (link)

24.04 miles [1]. This I-85 spur angling northeast to Gainesville is the second-highest interstate number in the land, and if it predated Buffalo's I-990, it was once at the top. Georgia could re-ignite this arms race with an I-995 in Brunswick, but then Detroit and Baltimore might weigh in with 996 and 997, and Bud Shuster would try to trump them all with an Interstate 999 in Altoona.

I've never seen a 785 proposed in Georgia, much less 585 or 385.

Interstate 985 was formerly GA 365, which opened in 1970. [3]. It was promoted to an interstate in summer 1985 [2], and is still intermittently signed with GA 365 -- which has becomes its semi-secret "companion" state route, a feature of all interstate and US routes in Georgia.

I had thought it was co-signed with US 23 for its entirety, but that isn't the case: US 23 hops on at GA 20 in Bruford. [4]

I-985 serves commercial development, tourism, and people moving away from Atlanta and its nearer suburbs. With a few interchanges added along four-lane US 23/GA 365, I-985 could feasibly be extended about 30 miles to Tallulah Falls; [3] however, there are no official plans that I know of.

See also:

• Interstate Guide: I-985 (AARoads)

Sources

1. Route Log and Finder List - Interstate Highways, FHWA, Oct. 31, 2002.
2. Williams, Steve "I-985." Personal email, Nov. 16, 1997.
3. Georges, Jim K. "I-575, 985." Personal email, Jan. 26, 1998.
4. The Feeneys. "I-985 (GA)." Personal email, Jul. 5, 2002.