Atlanta

[Tomahawkin]

It is a decent hypothesis, I wish I could have seen the newspapers and media reports back then. OT is there any word on when the ground clearing will begin on the 400 toll lanes? I'd figure it would be starting concurrent with the ending of the work with the 400/285 project. The Bridges at Spalding Dr, among others are going to be replaced and bridges will have to be built over the Chattahoochee...

[US 89]

If SR 400 were submitted for application today, I think there would be better chance it would be accepted this time.  For one, 400 has now been extended south to connect to I-85 in Atlanta, plus the cities that it serves north of I-285 are now much more populous and are continuously urban or near-urban.

Does all of the freeway part of 400 meet interstate standards? From driving it myself I feel like some of the parts south of 285 could maybe run into some geometrical issues (ramp length, curves, etc). Even if that's the case, it would probably be a simpler fix than something like Langford Parkway, which most certainly is not interstate standard.

I agree, and it's a vacation corridor to the North Georgia/N. Carolina Mountains and casino destinations. I will have to ask people If they face traffic to and from those locations. Dahlonega, Ellijay and Hiawassee are growing retirement destinations...

What would renumbering the freeway part of SR 400 to I-585 or something change about the traffic on it?

Even without an interstate number, no way US 19 ever gets a four-lane between Dahlonega and Blairsville. Those mountains are way too rugged, and there's already a four-lane corridor that takes the same time to get from Atlanta to Blairsville and beyond (I-575/SR 515).

[Georgia]

Public outreach by GDOT has started on the west 285-20 interchange.

I know it is planned to remove the left exits but I put that as my main concern with that interchange to be resolved.

May goto a PIOH if it fits in my schedule

[US 89]

Even worse than the left exits in my opinion is the tendency of that interchange to back up into the I-20 eastbound mainline for several miles. Too often I've seen traffic back up all the way past Six Flags simply because of people merging into and out of the 285 exit lanes. I'd love if whatever they're doing could improve that to some degree.

[Tom958]

Even worse than the left exits in my opinion is the tendency of that interchange to back up into the I-20 eastbound mainline for several miles. Too often I've seen traffic back up all the way past Six Flags simply because of people merging into and out of the 285 exit lanes. I'd love if whatever they're doing could improve that to some degree.

My afternoon commute is now Douglasville to Lawrenceville, and I can't make myself sit in that backup, no matter what GPS says. I'll go downtown knowing full well that getting onto 75-85 will be worse (actually, Glenda Google once routed me along Ted Turner Drive to 75-85 at Williams Street, and it wasn't bad at all). If downtown is really that catastrophic, I could always get off at Holmes and double back. Actually, I used to routinely take 285 south to MLK, then turn around and head back north, but now the ramp to southbound 285 is largely blocked by traffic waiting to get onlt northbound 285.

[Tomahawkin]

Douglasville to Lawrenceville??? OUCH, thats gotta be 90 minutes minimum? Hopefully that 285/20 interchange project gets started before 2026. Looking forward to seeing you post updates. I only go through that interchange maybe 2-5 times a year

[Tom958]

Douglasville to Lawrenceville??? OUCH, thats gotta be 90 minutes minimum? Hopefully that 285/20 interchange project gets started before 2026. Looking forward to seeing you post updates. I only go through that interchange maybe 2-5 times a year

It's 51 miles via downtown, usually less than an hour in the morning and 1:25ish in the afternoon. Annoyingly, our client likes to shut the site down at 5pm. I'd just as soon work until dark and miss the traffic. That said, an hour and a half for the 37 miles from Hapeville to my house wasn't unusual.   

[Tomahawkin]

@Tom, just a thought, They should go ahead and add express lanes from West of Thornton road to IH 285 While they are reconstructing the 285/20 interchange: We all know that toll lanes are coming to both sides of IH 20, OTP. Mght as well get it all done at once. IH 20 only being 6 lanes total OTP (Especially with all the truck traffic) is a Joke! Ditto that sentiment for IH 20 East of the perimeter in Dekalb county. Both interstates are 25+ years antiquiated...

[Tom958]

@Tom, just a thought, They should go ahead and add express lanes from West of Thornton road to IH 285 While they are reconstructing the 285/20 interchange: We all know that toll lanes are coming to both sides of IH 20, OTP. Mght as well get it all done at once. IH 20 only being 6 lanes total OTP (Especially with all the truck traffic) is a Joke! Ditto that sentiment for IH 20 East of the perimeter in Dekalb county. Both interstates are 25+ years antiquiated...

That'd make a lot of sense. Just extending that eastbound climbing lane all the way to 285 would help a good bit, though. I think that's part of the concept.

The replaced bridges at Lee Road and GA 92 seem to have more room under them than usual. My guess is that it's enough to put a Henry County-style express roadway on either or eventually both sides without having to cram it in as they had to on I-75. Or they could do a ten- or twelve-lane mainline. I think the Feds would go for that as a prudent allowance for future expansion without doing a corridor study.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to return from work via top end 285 in order to try to figure out what the next steps at 295-400 will be. Since I can't make myself wait in line for the loop ramp at 285-20, I bypassed the whole thing via surface roads west of the 'Hooch. It was a pleasant drive which I intend to repeat whenever I go that way anywhere near to rush hour.

[Tomahawkin]

Did they add any overhead light at the Lee Road interchange? It baffles me that There is little if no overall lighting on both 285 and 20 OTP given that both interstates are dangerous to drive at night or in the early morning hours...

[ran4sh]

Did they add any overhead light at the Lee Road interchange? It baffles me that There is little if no overall lighting on both 285 and 20 OTP given that both interstates are dangerous to drive at night or in the early morning hours...

In Georgia it is the local government's responsibility to install and maintain roadway lighting


iPhone

[Tomahawkin]

That makes sense as to why there is little/no overhead lighting on a majority of 285 making it one of the most dangerous beltways in the Country

[Georgia]

Even worse than the left exits in my opinion is the tendency of that interchange to back up into the I-20 eastbound mainline for several miles. Too often I've seen traffic back up all the way past Six Flags simply because of people merging into and out of the 285 exit lanes. I'd love if whatever they're doing could improve that to some degree.

I think the C/D lanes starting at at least FIB and Bankhead on the west/north side respectively will help eliminate some of the last minute weaving at least. That was in the last iteration of the plans that I saw; will have to hope they are kept.  Think on the south side they will start at MLK/Adamsville and on the east portion I assume they will start at the GA 280 exit. 

[Tom958]

I think the C/D lanes starting at at least FIB and Bankhead on the west/north side respectively will help eliminate some of the last minute weaving at least. That was in the last iteration of the plans that I saw; will have to hope they are kept.  Think on the south side they will start at MLK/Adamsville and on the east portion I assume they will start at the GA 280 exit.

Do you have a link for that? The only version I've seen is the PIOH version from 20020, under which the only CDs connect the ramps from 285 to westbound 20 to the offramp to Fulton Industrial. my search skills are for shit, unfortunately.

I'd really like to see a current signage plan for 285-400, too. I emailed asking about it, but of course there was no replay.

[Tom958]

I think the C/D lanes starting at at least FIB and Bankhead on the west/north side respectively will help eliminate some of the last minute weaving at least. That was in the last iteration of the plans that I saw; will have to hope they are kept.  Think on the south side they will start at MLK/Adamsville and on the east portion I assume they will start at the GA 280 exit.

Do you have a link for that? The only version I've seen is the PIOH version from 2020, under which the only CDs connect the ramps from 285 to westbound 20 to the offramp to Fulton Industrial. My search skills are for shit, unfortunately.

I'd really like to see a current signage plan for 285-400, too. I emailed asking about it, but of course there was no reply.

EDIT: Home from work, I checked out the I-285/I-20 West Interchange project page at GDOT's site The roll plots appear to be the same as the ones I linked to above, but this video shows a new westbound 20 to southbound 285 ramp instead of recycling the current one. Still no CDs to speak of, though. And only four lanes eastbound over the Chattahoochee!

[Tom958]

The new ramp from eastbound I-285 to northbound Georgia 400 is set to open this weekend, weather permitting.

From what I've heard, the Big Scrunch of the 285 mainline to six lanes has been pushed back to August. Westbound, there appears to be little in the way of doing it. The mainline is already down to four lanes there. All that's needed signage-wise is to reinstall the third black arrow on this Olympic-era battleaxe and scoot it a lane to the left, to its original location. You may recall that at one point it was already erroneously configured as though the mainline was already only three lanes!



Eastbound is another story, though. After some thought and observation, I've come to the conclusion that the Big Scrunch won't occur until the permanent offramp from eastbound 285 to Glenridge Drive and GA 400 is opened. It's slowly but deliberately being readied for the top layers of asphalt, and... the foundations for the gantries that'll carry the APLs marking the exit are installed or under construction. We may see our first permanent APLs there soon!

The permanent offramp will be two lanes, so the split could be 4+2 or 3+2 with an orange plaque negating the option lane. If it's the former, I think the fourth lane will be a recovery lane that terminates before the already-open Roswell Road onramp.

[Tomahawkin]

Weather shouldnt be a factor but they have been off in predicting the weather for the last 2+ weeks in the Atlanta area. Thanks for the 411. Im hoping that CD area from Roswell road to 400 is open before Labor day. I cant imagine what its like at 4pm on weekdays with traffic weaving to catch 1 ramp that serves 2 exits. Oh and BTW Texting and driving on interstates here is worse than I thought...

[Georgia]

Yea, i dont know what project I was thinking of. 

Disappointing lack of C/D lanes on the project although I am glad to not see mid exit ramp lane drops; one of the main things I hate about the new 24-75 interchange in Chattanooga going from 2 down to 1 mid ramp inevitably causes slowdowns there.

[Tomahawkin]

The 285 EB to 400 NB flyover ramp is Supposed to open Monday. Now it's just the CD ramps that are left. Hopefully they will be done by Thanksgiving? And IMO The 400 toll lane construction needs to be starting! I'm sure the rich constituents in North Fulton County are already tired of the Construction and delays???

[Tom958]

The 285 EB to 400 NB flyover ramp is Supposed to open Monday.

Thanks for that. I was under the impression that it was to open over the weekend, and I was considering driving over to check it out. Actually, though, my wife is having a procedure done at Northside tomorrow, so I should be able to sneak out and have a look while she's recovering.

Now it's just the CD ramps that are left. Hopefully they will be done by Thanksgiving?

The biggest outstanding item is the replacement of those three double bridges carrying 285 over Glenridge, 400, and Peachtree Dunwoody. They can't even start on that until the Big Scrunch takes place, which, as I pointed out earlier, is now slated for August. After that, southbound 400 will need to be moved onto its permanent location adjacent to the northbound mainline. All of this is in addition to opening the southbound 400 CD, the other three new ramps between 285 and 400 that pass under the other spans of the Roswell Road and Ashford Dunwoody bridges, and various other stuff. In fairness, much of this work can and will proceed simultaneously with the bridge replacements, but I'll still be amazed if the interchange is schematically complete before 2023.

[Tomahawkin]

Damn, I didn't know that those bridges on 285 were going to be replaced but it makes sense to do so. Those bridges look like Utter crap and are probably falling apart. So you are right, this project may not be complete for another 18 months...

[Georgia Guardrail]

I can confirm that the I 285 EB to SR 400 NB flyover ramp opened Sunday.  I went on it and it's a dream compared to the prior ramp with the scary left-merge.

Am hopeful that they will open the CD lanes on I 285 EB soon.  Those will help ensure less weaving from those entering I 285 EB from Roswell Road and those exiting I 285 to go on SR 400.

[Tomahawkin]

Yeah, I dont know why this interchange wasnt redone 10 years ago. I loathe those left handed on ramps. The ones at 285 and 78 need to be gutted but that wont happen for another 6 years minimum...

[Tom958]

I can confirm that the I 285 EB to SR 400 NB flyover ramp opened Sunday.  I went on it and it's a dream compared to the prior ramp with the scary left-merge.

True, but there's still only one offramp lane serving 400 in both directions. I suppose the new two-lane offramp from 285 will remedy that, but the just-opened ramp is striped for only one lane.

Am hopeful that they will open the CD lanes on I 285 EB soon.  Those will help ensure less weaving from those entering I 285 EB from Roswell Road and those exiting I 285 to go on SR 400.

There'll be no further CD roads on 285 either eastbound or westbound. There'll continue to be an auxiliary lane from the Roswell Road onramp to the Ashford Dunwoody offramp, just as there is today.* Same deal westbound: the current configuration for those ramps will remain as is, though the ramps to 400 will be moved to where the Peachtree Dunwoody offramp is now and the return to 285 will be moved downstream, to west of Roswell Road.

*As I pointed out in my apparently-unread earlier post, I suspect that the eastbound auxiliary lane will be interrupted during the mainline bridge replacement work. No such closure will be required westbound, though.

[Georgia Guardrail]

I think once it's complete, drivers on I 285 EB will enter the ramp to go on SR 400 near the I 285 EB to Roswell Road ramp (maybe on the same one).  Then they will continue under Roswell road, under the Roswell Road to I 285 EB ramp, and then will have to decide whether to go to Glenridge Drive or SR 400 N or S. 

This should help so that people going from Roswell Road to I 285 E will only have to weave with Ashford Dunwoody bound traffic instead of SR 400 bound traffic.

But then you will have people merging from Roswell Road unto the SR 400/Glenridge ramp, possibly creating an issue with weaving on the ramp.