A stretch of I-285 in Fulton County will shut down completely this weekend, and drivers across metro Atlanta should expect a rough few days.
What’s happening: All northbound and southbound lanes of I-285 will close between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (exit 9) and Cascade Road (exit 7). The shutdown starts at 7 p.m. Friday, May 8, and is set to lift by 5 a.m. Monday, May 11, as long as weather and ground conditions allow.
Why the road is closing: Work crews need to grind down the existing concrete road surface using heavy equipment before they can repair and replace damaged slabs. The full closure gives crews enough room to do that work safely.
Where traffic will go: Southbound drivers will be sent to I-20 at exit 10, then onto I-75/I-85 southbound. Northbound and westbound drivers will be directed to Langford Parkway at exit 5. Heavy backups are expected on I-20, the Downtown Connector (I-75/I-85), and Langford Parkway, with extra traffic likely spilling onto local roads across southwest Atlanta and Fulton County.
The bigger project: The closure is part of the I-285 Westside reconstruction project, a 10-mile rebuild running from South Fulton Parkway in College Park north to Collier Road.
How this affects real people: Anyone driving through or around southwest Atlanta this weekend should plan for major delays. Drivers can check live traffic conditions before leaving using the 511GA app.
The path forward: This weekend’s shutdown is one piece of a longer reconstruction effort on I-285’s westside corridor. As work continues along the 10-mile stretch between College Park and Collier Road, additional closures are possible in the weeks ahead.
- Rockmart fast food restaurant fails health inspection with a score of 65
- Kemp signs tax cuts into law
- If you use WellStar doctors and chose an Anthem plan for 2020, your doctor may be out of network
- 13 Things You Didn't Know About Georgia
- Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduces Bill to Rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
