Hog Mountain: Truck Stop Light & Freight Service Node, I-85 & US 129, Jefferson Georgia -- 75,000-85,000 vehicles per day, full-access interchange location

Status: conceptual development thesis prepared by North Star Group from iVerify screening data (Report 68). Not a site plan. No land under contract, no operator commitment, no financing in place. Exact configuration determined through due diligence and engineering.

Why this interchange

A full-access interchange with 75,000–85,000 vehicles/day exposure

The site sits at I-85 and US 129 / GA 11 in Jefferson, Jackson County, Georgia, about 3 miles from the Jefferson demand core. GDOT 2017 AADT puts I-85 at roughly 54,100–58,900 vehicles/day on the two mainline segments flanking the interchange, plus 21,000–25,400 on the US 129 / GA 11 arterial — combined roadway movements, not unique vehicles. Within 30 miles, 15,295 active FMCSA-registered carriers run 42,630 power units and 20,587 trailers (17,950 owned), including large poultry and regional fleets based in Oakwood, Gainesville, and Winder.

Map of GDOT AADT count stations around the I-85 / US 129 interchange at Hog Mountain, showing the 58,900 and 54,100 I-85 mainline counts flanking the screened area
Rendered from iVerify Report 68 / live GDOT AADT data — public, unverified screening data.

The facility

A Truck Stop Light, not a conventional travel plaza

The initial build is a Truck Stop Light: cardlock diesel, secure truck parking, clean restrooms, lighting and cameras, easy truck circulation, and separately fenced IOS / laydown areas leased to fleets, contractors, and equipment operators. Fuel and transient parking capture passing traffic; the IOS component provides monthly base income. Industrial pads or cross-dock space come only after demand is demonstrated — the project is not dependent on a poultry fleet, a single tenant, or a speculative warehouse.

See the phased development plan →

The business case

Cash-flowing operations, not a land bet

The proposition is simple: give long-haul and regional trucks a place to fuel, park, use remaining hours-of-service intelligently, reset, wait for appointments, and enter the Atlanta market prepared — rather than short on fuel or time. Phased development reduces upfront risk and lets operations scale with demand: core revenue drivers are fuel, cardlock, parking, HOS reset, and acre-based yard leases.

Develop a simple, secure place at I-85 and US 129 where trucks can fuel, park, reset, stage, and prepare for the Atlanta market, supported by monthly IOS and laydown-yard income.

Run the fuel & entrance-fee cash-flow calculator →

The bottom line

A full-access interchange with strong truck traffic and a large, nameable carrier base nearby — but the principal risk is the dirt, not the traffic. The report identifies flood zones (A/AE) and notable relief inside the area of interest, no land comparables, and no local zoning layer. The project works only on parcels that provide usable truck acreage after grading, drainage, access, and buffers are confirmed.

The full concept paper covers the development thesis, traffic and demand evidence, site conditions, the phased plan, and the interactive fuel & entrance-fee calculator.

Read the Full Concept Paper Contact Michael Hoffman