Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced his plan to spend more than $2 billion to improve the state's roads and expand one of metro Atlanta's worst traffic chokepoints.

The Republican governor, who is serving his last year in office, says he wants to spend the majority of that funding for the creation of additional toll express lanes on Interstate 75 south of Henry County. Right now, 12 miles of I-75 in Henry and Clayton counties have reversible express lanes, but Kemp is proposing that the state build a lane in each direction.

"Road congestion doesn't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat behind the wheel, only that you're running late to work or an appointment. It costs commuters time with their loved ones and money, it costs businesses valuable production output, and it costs the entire state potential economic development projects," Kemp said during the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual Eggs and Issues event.

While some states have turned to transit and other options, Kemp says Georgia has to keep building highways to promote economic growth in Atlanta, Georgia's economic engine. After a decline during the pandemic, congestion has returned in force in the metro area of more than 6 million people. The state is already spending to build other toll lanes and rebuild major interchanges on Interstate 285, Atlanta's loop highway.

According to a report by roadway analytics firm INRIX, Atlanta was ranked seventh-worst in the country and 16th in the world for road congestion. The company estimated the average Atlanta resident lost 75 hours in congestion, at a cost of $1,381 per driver. Kemp also noted that the hours lost to traffic have increased by nearly a quarter in the past two years.

"These issues are also undermining our economic development prospects, with business leaders questioning whether their workers will want to live and commute in that environment," Kemp said. "When it comes to traffic congestion, we can't let our competitors have the upper hand."

Kemp said the additional toll lanes could increase traffic throughput on I-75 by as much as 70%, calling the plan a "great return on investment."

The governor told the Georgia Chamber of Commerce he's proposing that legislators approve a total of $2.4 billion more in infrastructure spending. The money would come in an amendment to the current year's budget, drawing on Georgia's $9 billion in surplus cash.

That would also include $200 million to continue improving Georgia 316, a highway between Atlanta and Kemp's hometown of Athens. The state has been turning the four-lane highway into an access-controlled freeway, and Kemp says he wants to build "a true, safe expressway."

"It shouldn't take you a full afternoon to get from Athens to Atlanta, or vice versa. That's why this funding will go toward the ongoing upgrades of intersections to interchanges, overpasses, and other safer connections," he said.

Kemp said he also wants to distribute an additional $250 million to local governments for road improvements, $100 million to improve bridges and rural communities and $35 million to extend natural gas lines in rural areas.

The governor will discuss more of his plans for his final year in office during his State of the State address, which will take place on Thursday morning at the Capitol.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.