Atlanta

[rickmastfan67]

In regard to the GA 407 LOOP posting I saw during the Atlanta Meet, that seems to be rogue signage, the Georgia DOT local map I found does not show a GA 407 LOOP here (see Page 2) so I am sure it is long gone.

It's the hidden State Route number for I-285.  All the Interstates in GA have them in the 4XX range, you just don't normally see them mentioned in the field.

[ran4sh]

Technically only 407 is I-285. 407 Loop is a different state route that intersects 407 (I-285) at some point.

[Tom958]

No news is news: The 285-400 interchange isn't finished, but construction has all but stopped. I go through there on my morning commute now (I often take a different route home) and the only work I see is on the approach slabs for the last bridge, on the ramp from WB 285 to SB 400, there are barrels lying around, most of the asphalt paving still needs its top coat, and there are at least seven signage gantries with no signage installed despite the signage having been delivered months ago. WTF, GDOT?

Also, the contractor has installed this sign in the wrong place. It belongs on a new gantry that's been erected on the far side of the bridge ahead. At this point, it'd probably be easier to fix both signs with overlays than to move this one. anyway, I notified my contact at GDOT, so hopefully they'll avert the obvious followup screwup.

[Tom958]

Also, the contractor has installed this sign in the wrong place. It belongs on a new gantry that's been erected on the far side of the bridge ahead. At this point, it'd probably be easier to fix both signs with overlays than to move this one. Anyway, I notified my contact at GDOT, so hopefully they'll avert the obvious followup screwup.

Welp, I was wrong about overlays: this weekend, the mislocated sign was taken down and installed in its correct location. I hope they can get the correct sign installed soon; the new one is behind the Perimeter Center Parkway bridge and doesn't provide enough warning of the upcoming lane drop.

Also installed (I assume) over the weekend was badly needed overhead signage on the northbound CD between the Glenridge Connector and the 285 offramps. The signage is on a gantry that spans both the CD and the 400 mainline and it carries a sign for Abernathy Road on the mainline as well as the direly-needed 400 overhead on the CD. The Abernathy sign lacks an exit number tab; online conversation about that revealed that the exits for 400 will be renumbered, which was news to me. Here's where I'm talking about: https://maps.app.goo.gl/t7jPjhwsCtWbbkJD6

[Henry]

Any news on when The Stitch will be built? Last time I heard, they were hoping to get it done by 2032, but that was a long time ago.

[Tom958]

Any news on when The Stitch will be built? Last time I heard, they were hoping to get it done by 2032, but that was a long time ago.

There's been some progress, but I forget the details. There's funding for the first segment, between Peachtree and Courtland.

https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/downtown-stitch-first-phase-happening-right-now-images

[Georgia Guardrail]

Will The Stitch actually improve traffic or make things worse? 

To me it seems like it would make things worse as it would make any future necessary construction project on the Interstate more difficult to construct when you have a big tunnel as a barrier.  Not to mention this will take out several travel lanes as The Stitch is being constructed.  As if Connector traffic wasn't bad enough.

[The Ghostbuster]

The Stitch may be a mess while under construction, but I think it will be worth it in the end. The intention of these deck-over-the-freeway projects is to reduce the barrier caused by dividing the neighborhoods when the freeways were constructed. True, the Interstate 75/85 Downtown Connector is probably the widest freeway in the country to have a deck constructed over it to date, although the surrounding neighborhoods would likely benefit from the deck's construction.

[architect77]

The GA400/I-285 interchange project ($1.7B) looks damn good. Wide, generous lanes with concrete pavement, and the best looking overhead signage ever. GDOT has upped their game. This makes Georgia and Atlanta worthy of top-tier status!

abernathy1 by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

400 by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[RoadWarrior56]

Wonderful, I can look at beautiful signs while I am still stuck in traffic.

[Tom958]

The GA400/I-285 interchange project ($1.7B) looks damn good. Wide, generous lanes with concrete pavement, and the best looking overhead signage ever. GDOT has upped their game. This makes Georgia and Atlanta worthy of top-tier status!

Seriously? All the bridges are cheap AASHTO beams and weathering steel with no attention paid to aesthetics. Florida and even dirt-poor Louisiana put us to shame. I believe there have been more signage screwups on this project than on any comparable project in history.

[Tom958]

Two of the eventual four express lanes are now open on the bizarre Windy Hill Road project between GA 280 South Cobb Drive and Atlanta Road in Smyrna.

https://smyrnasplost.com/windy-hill-boulevard-concept/

[architect77]

The GA400/I-285 interchange project ($1.7B) looks damn good. Wide, generous lanes with concrete pavement, and the best looking overhead signage ever. GDOT has upped their game. This makes Georgia and Atlanta worthy of top-tier status!

Seriously? All the bridges are cheap AASHTO beams and weathering steel with no attention paid to aesthetics. Florida and even dirt-poor Louisiana put us to shame. I believe there have been more signage screwups on this project than on any comparable project in history.

I used to think like this, but North Carolina, who historically did everything with high standards is also building flyovers with partial precast girders and exposed steel at the curviest section. I-440 to I-40 in Raleigh Eastbound flyover is one example.

I don't think NCDOT will ever use the brown, unfinished beams/girders for overpasses anymore. The precast versions are showing up on all new projects.

The improvements at Ga400/i-285 are substantial, and all new overhead signs/gantries are visually level. I think they are doing a good job, and I love the big fat lettering on  the large overhead signs. It commands respect.

I would like reflectors installed on the concrete barrier walls on the very long collector/distributor lanes as they can't be seen at night and thhinvise ere is the tendency/urge to move into the 5 general lanes sooner than later thus the dark barrier wall is invisible is posing a real danger without any reflectors.

[Great Lakes Roads]

An updated animation of the I-285 Top-End Express Lanes Visualization...

[Georgia]

just glad they are putting lanes on both sides of 285 unlike the 75 lanes on either side of the metro. 

[mvak36]

An updated animation of the I-285 Top-End Express Lanes Visualization...

That is very impressive. Does anyone know what the timeline of this project is?

[Georgia]

An updated animation of the I-285 Top-End Express Lanes Visualization...

That is very impressive. Does anyone know what the timeline of this project is?

no, it is dependent on the 400 express lanes.

[Henry]

An updated animation of the I-285 Top-End Express Lanes Visualization...

That is very impressive. Does anyone know what the timeline of this project is?

no, it is dependent on the 400 express lanes.

According to this document, both sets of express lanes will be built after the Transform 285/400 project has been completed, with Phase 1 of the 400 project in design-build.

[Georgia]

Yes, the will both be built after the Interchange project is done but the 400 lanes are 2 to 3 years ahead of the 285 lanes and 285' schedule is dependent on the 400 schedule.

https://majormobilityga.com/i-285-express-lanes/

[mariethefoxy]

I still miss the signs with the narrow font that wasn't quite Series D lowercase

The GA400/I-285 interchange project ($1.7B) looks damn good. Wide, generous lanes with concrete pavement, and the best looking overhead signage ever. GDOT has upped their game. This makes Georgia and Atlanta worthy of top-tier status!

abernathy1 by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

400 by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[Tom958]

I've been told that the beams carrying the new flyover from southbound I-285 to eastbound I-20 over 20 have been erected. Unusually for Georgia, they're painted steel. The contractor expects to open the ramp by the end of autumn, which seems doable considering that autumn ends in late December. The tie-in to eastbound 20 should be the most difficult part because GDOT shoehorned the project onto the existing right-of-way, leaving little room to work.

I'm also hearing that contracts will soon be let for the 400 managed lanes and for the 285-20 west interchange. Ferrovial, of 285-400 infamy, is said to have the inside track. Oof. Maybe they'll redeem themselves somehow,

[Tomahawkin]

Im ready to see the 20W To 285 SB flyover get further constructed. Some of the hammerheads look to be 60' in the air over the ravine. I Wonder how long that whole flyover will be? it might span 1/8th of a mile or more. They are doing a superb job constructing it compared to the contractor(s) who did the 400/285 interchange

Im also curious to see what are the next bridges along both 285 and 400 to be replaced???
'

[architect77]

Has anyone seen the bents, or support pillars for the flyovers at the I-20 East/ I-285 interchange rebuild?

I guess because the flyover is so high up, the support column underneath one flyover gets bigger midway, but is slender at the bottom and the top. I've never seen this before.

I wonder how it increases stability, unless the moment of rotation or breakage is at the middle, and the extra concrete right at the middle is all that's needed to prevent that.

[Georgia Guardrail]

Im ready to see the 20W To 285 SB flyover get further constructed. Some of the hammerheads look to be 60' in the air over the ravine. I Wonder how long that whole flyover will be? it might span 1/8th of a mile or more. They are doing a superb job constructing it compared to the contractor(s) who did the 400/285 interchange

Im also curious to see what are the next bridges along both 285 and 400 to be replaced???
'

I imagine they are going to have to replace the Holcomb bridge road bridge over 400 fairly soon since the plans are to reconfigure the interchange into a diverging diamond and make room for the BRT station for the Express Lanes.

[Tomahawkin]

I hope they do replace the Holcomb Rd Bridge, but that would cause a traffic headache in that area. My big boy gut tells me they will go cheap and piece meal that DDI interchange like they did the ones on Plesant hill road, Jimmy Carter, and the ongoing DDI at Roswell Rd. The Abernathy road DDI was perfectly built despite the 7+ years to get it done