Long-Term I-285 Lane Closures Beginning October 8

The City is working to make our residents and visitors aware of big changes coming to I-285 as part of the Transform 285/400 project. The impact on interstate and local traffic will be profound, and it will last for approximately eight months. It will require planning and patience. 

Motorists should expect profound delays and choose alternate routes or commute options.

To further advance the Transform 285/400 interchange reconstruction project to final completion, the contractor for the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) will close one Interstate 285 eastbound lane Saturday, October 8 between Roswell Road and Ashford Dunwoody Road for bridge demolition and reconstruction at Glenridge Drive, State Route (SR) 400 and Peachtree Dunwoody Road. The closure of one lane in the westbound direction will follow approximately one week later.

The bridge replacements and associated closure of a single lane on I-285 eastbound and westbound will take at least eight months to complete and are expected to cause extreme delays around and approaching the work zone. Three lanes in each direction will remain open during the daytime hours, with the potential for additional overnight lane closures to further reduce available travel lanes.

While the long-term I-285 closures will cause extreme delays, newly constructed and recently opened connecting lanes should provide some relief by offering additional roadway capacity outside of the existing interstate lanes.

“The traveling public should utilize the new connecting lanes as much as possible to get to their local destinations,” Georgia DOT Alternative Delivery Program Manager Marlo Clowers, P.E., said. “While over 240,000 vehicles move through this part of I-285 each day, many drivers are headed to local destinations. The new connecting lanes facilitate easier and hopefully faster trips for those drivers and should help move people around the profound delays we anticipate on I-285.”

The bridge demolition and reconstruction will take place in two phases:

Phase 1: Inside lanes will close on I-285 in each direction between Roswell Road to Ashford Dunwoody Road, so crews can reconstruct the interior portions of the I-285 bridges over Glenridge Drive, SR 400, and Peachtree Dunwoody Road. This phase will take approximately four months.

Phase 2: Traffic will shift to the inside lanes and the existing outside lanes will close to traffic so crews can demolish and reconstruct the exterior portions of the bridges. This phase will take approximately four months.

Updates will be posted to a Georgia DOT web page dedicated to the lane closures: https://transform285400-gdot.hub.arcgis.com/pages/lanereductions.

Dates may change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are advised to expect delays, exercise caution, and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones. Before heading out, get real-time information on work status and traffic conditions. Call 511, visit 511ga.org, or download the Georgia 511 app. The information in this media release was accurate at the time of publication. Additional project information is available on the project website.

Alternative Options: Lane Reduction Resources

Ask for options:

Take a minute to Ask for Options using this simple web form from Perimeter Connects, which will help you explore every possible alternate route based on where you live and work. Perimeter Connects will even cover the cost for you to try it out.

Share the ride:

Perimeter Connects can help you find a carpool buddy who works in the same area, lives nearby and has something in common with you. Try to carpool once, and you'll get $50.

Community Toolkit:

Perimeter Connects has created a toolkit for business leaders to share information regarding the closures and available options with their teams.

Plan ahead and skip the red:

We all know traffic is worse at certain times of day – but there’s more variation than just “rush hour” and the rest of the day. View data from GDOT for I-285 to give you a handy guide to when 285 is currently the slowest, so you can adjust your plans accordingly.

Choose an alternate commute: 

MARTA and Xpress serve the Perimeter area and are great alternatives to driving through the area. Reach out to Georgia Commute Options for help finding alternative commute options or for help planning alternate routes.

Use a wayfinding app:

Free traffic and GPS apps can keep you informed about slowdowns in real-time and suggest alternate routes. Use GA 511 or your favorite navigation app when preparing to drive in the area.