Two additional sets of elected officials — the county boards of commissioners in Cherokee County and Lumpkin County, Ga. — have voted to oppose construction of the Interstate 3 corridor in Southern Appalachia.

The Cherokee commissioners unanimously passed a motion on Feb. 20 opposing Interstate 3 and have instructed their county attorney to draft a formal resolution.

Cherokee becomes the third county in Western North Carolina and Lumpkin the fifth county in north Georgia to formally come out against a route that would cut a wide swath through Southern Appalachia on its way from Savannah to Knoxville, via Augusta.

Macon and Clay counties in North Carolina and Habersham, Rabun, White and Towns counties in Georgia have previously adopted similar resolutions (details are on The Stop I-3 Coalition’s Web site at www.StopI-3.org).

“These latest actions are clearly indicative of the sweep of growing momentum against this ruinous interstate,” said Elizabeth Wells, chairperson of the Stop I-3 Coalition. “We have repeatedly been told by (Georgia) Congressman Norwood, Isakson and Chambliss, sponsors of I-3 construction, that if we do not want this road it will not happen. Are they listening to their constituency? Will they honor their word?”

In August 2005 Congress appropriated $1.3 million to study the highway. The request came from Georgia congressmen who tout the highway as a benefit to the port of Savannah and as a way to relieve traffic congestion around Atlanta.