The first 5 miles (8.0 km) of the state highway is a freeway, but the rest of the route is at-grade with traffic signals with the exception of its junction with SR 81 east of Bethlehem.

US 29/US 78/SR 316 intersect SR 10 Loop/SR 422 (Paul Broun Parkway/Athens Perimeter Highway) southwest of Athens.

With the subsequent expansion of Atlanta into its eastern suburbs, travel between the capital and Athens became increasingly difficult as highways US 29 and US 78 were both routed through multiple business districts.

Over the next decades, the state completed SR 316 in sections, weaving along the original route of US 29 in order to bypass communities and business districts, including Winder and the congested Atlanta Highway in Athens.

[citation needed] On October 22, 2020, the highway's junction with SR 81 was upgraded to an interchange.

By utilizing one of these flyover bridges, drivers travelling westbound on SR 316 can access Pleasant Hill Road independently from I-85 southbound traffic.

[5] SR 316 is scheduled to receive a number of improvements resulting in the entire route becoming a limited-access highway.