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The intersection of Elm Street and U.S. Hwy. 278 in the 1970s. Special | Newton Chamber of Commerce

East-West highway through Covington dates to 1919

By TOM SPIGOLON

tspigolon@covnews.com

Earliest records for U.S. Hwy. 278 — Newton County’s main east-west surface highway — show the road designated as Georgia Hwy. 12 before it was given a federal designation.

Georgia Hwy. 12 was established at least as early as 1919 and ran from Decatur through Covington to Augusta before turning south to Waynesboro. Parts were unpaved but maintained, according to the a GDOT map in 1928. The Covington to Madison segment traveled through Social Circle.

Then, by mid-1926, an unnumbered road was established on a more direct route between Covington and Madison. Two segments had a “completed hard surface”: from the Cobb–Fulton county line to Avondale and a portion in the west-southwest part of Augusta.

Three segments were completed by 1930, including one from just west of the DeKalb–Rockdale county line to Covington. Later in 1930, a portion in the eastern part of Covington has a completed hard surface, according to GDOT maps of the era. An unnumbered road from east of Covington to southeast of Social Circle was also completed.

In early 1932, Hwy. 12’s path between Covington and Madison was shifted southward and set atop the previously unnumbered road.