Interstate 285 Outer Loop - College Park to I-20

Turning east, the roadways for I-285 run along the outside of the roadways for Interstate 85.

09/11/20

The ensuing 1.25 miles of the Atlanta Beltway with I-85 is a dual freeway through a diamond interchange (Exit 62) with SR 279 (Old National Highway).

07/26/22

I-85, I-285 and the c/d roadway for Exit 62 pass under SR 279 (Old National Highway). A sign replacement here replaced Tampa with Augusta.

09/11/20

Traffic separates from the adjacent c/d roadway from SR 279 for I-85 north to both SR 139 (Riverdale Road) and the Domestic Terminal of ATL Airport, and the I-285 mainline east to the International Terminal of ATL Airport (via I-75 north).

09/11/20

A directional T interchange partitions traffic at the east split of I-85 and I-285. C/d roadways run alongside I-85 north to SR 139 (Riverdale Road), which encircles the southwest side of ATL Airport, nearby.

09/11/20

Interstate 285 crosses into the northwestern wedge of Clayton County within the exchange at I-85 north.

07/26/22

SR 139 (Riverdale Road) provides an alternate route to the Domestic Terminal at ATL Airport. The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal lies west of I-75 at Exit 239.

07/26/22

Entering the parclo interchange (Exit 60) with SR 139 (Riverdale Road) on Interstate 285 east.

09/11/20

SR 139 (Riverdale Road) encircles the southwestern perimeter of ATL Airport as part of a 7.23 mile long course northwest from SR 85 to U.S. 29/SR 14 (Roosevelt Highway) in College Park.

07/26/22

Curving northeastward, I-285 proceed proceeds one mile from SR 139 to a split diamond interchange (Exit 59) with Clark Howell Highway.

09/11/20

Interstate 285 navigates through a pair of 70 foot high tunnels on the south side of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The tunnels support both Runway 10/28 and its taxiway.

04/13/12

9,000 feet in length, the fifth runway for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) began operations in May 2006. Initial proposals for the expansion project called for the relocation of I-285 to the south. Instead tunnels were built.¹

09/11/20

Exit 58 departs in 1.25 miles for Interstate 75 north to Downtown Atlanta and south to Macon. Tampa, Florida lies 440 miles to the south.

09/11/20

Traveling through the 1,500 foot long tunnel system, Interstate 285 emerges just ahead of Exit 59 to Clark Howell Highway. The runway bridges cost $159 million.²

09/11/20

The succeeding exit from Interstate 75 north of I-285 connects with Charles W. Grant Parkway west onto Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. Boulevard to the International Terminal at ATL Airport.

09/11/20

Clark Howell Highway heads south from Airport Loop Road and cargo areas of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Forest Parkway. South of I-285, the arterial was relocated westward from a previous end near the junction of SR 85/331 in 2016.

09/11/20

Exit 58 constitutes a lengthy c/d roadway extending east beyond Interstate 75 to SR 85 south and U.S. 19/41 (Old Dixie Road) at Forest Park. The freeway mainline proceeds east to SR 54 (Jonesboro Road) in southeast Atlanta.

09/11/20

Two lanes partition from the Perimeter Highway eastbound for the c/d roadway east to SR 85, I-75 and U.S. 19/41 (Old Dixie Road). I-75 and U.S. 19/41 (Central Avenue) north converge at Hapeville and south near Riverdale.

09/11/20

The c/d roadway for Exit 58 gains traffic from Airport Loop Road ahead of the ramp for both Interstate 75 south to Macon and the southbound beginning of SR 85 to Riverdale.

09/11/20

Traffic separates with two lanes joining Interstate 75 south to Tampa, Florida and two lanes continuing east to I-75 north and U.S. 19/41 (Old Dixie Road).

09/11/20

A left side ramp follows from the c/d roadway at Exit 58 for Interstate 75 north to the International Terminal of ATL Airport and the Downtown Connector with I-85.

06/12/17

An auxiliary lane opens along the c/d roadway from I-75 east to the folded diamond interchange with U.S. 19/41 (Old Dixie Highway). U.S. 19/41 travel south by a number of warehouses and distribution centers through Forest Park, passing west of the city center.

06/12/17

Old Dixie Highway and a Norfolk Southern Railroad line span I-285 just west of U.S. 19/41 (Old Dixie Road). Work through 2016-17 realigned U.S. 19/41 north through Mountain View as part of the Grant Parkway grade separation project with the NS Railroad line.

06/12/17

Turning more northeasterly, Interstate 285 continues with eight overall lanes from U.S. 19/41 to Exit 55 for SR 54.

09/11/20

SR 54 (Jonesboro Road) meets Interstate 285 at the South River Gardens neighborhood of Atlanta.

09/11/20

SR 54 (Jonesboro Road) south leads through Forest Park to Lake City. SR 54 north concludes at the I-75/85 (Downtown Connector) at Pittsburgh.

09/11/20

Advancing east from the diamond interchange with SR 54, I-285 (Perimeter Highway) east meets the north end of Interstate 675 in two miles.

09/11/20

U.S. 23/SR 42 (Moreland Avenue) and I-675 tie into I-285 within close proximity. Moreland Avenue straddles the Fulton/Dekalb County line north to Ormewood Park and East Atlanta. Southward U.S. 23 serves the Fort Gillem redevelopment site and the suburb of Conley.

09/11/20

A diamond interchange joins the Atlanta Beltway with U.S. 23/SR 42 (Moreland Avenue) at Exit 53. Ramps on the east side of the exchange tie into ramps with I-675.

09/22/22

Interstate 285 east crosses into unincorporated Dekalb County just ahead of Exit 53.

09/22/22

U.S. 23/SR 42 parallel Interstate 675 south from Exit 53 into Clayton County en route to Stockbridge. Nearby Fort Gillem closed as a military base in 2011.

09/11/20

A painted shield precedes the Moreland Road overpass, one quarter mile from Exit 52 to I-675 south.

09/11/20

Interstate 675 constitutes an 11.10 mile long freeway serving the Clayton County suburbs south to I-75 at Stockbridge.

09/22/22

A directional T interchange joins I-285/675 at Exit 52. I-675 was originally planned as part of an extended SR 400 leading south from Buckhead in Atlanta. The portion north of the Perimeter Highway was canceled, and delays ensued on construction of I-675 south to completion in October 1987.

09/22/22

The succeeding exit along I-285 east (outer loop) is three quarters of a mile ahead with Bouldercrest Road. All guide signs for Exit 51 were replaced by August 2016.

09/22/22

An auxiliary lane opens along the Perimeter Highway eastbound to the diamond interchange (Exit 51) with Bouldercrest Road. Construction previously anticipated to start in 2019 outlined converting Exit 51 into a parclo interchange.

09/06/20

Bouldercrest Road meanders north from Exit 51 to the Gresham Park community and East Atlanta. Southward, Bouldercrest Road serves suburban areas to Ellenwood.

09/22/22

Removed by 2018, this confirming marker appeared where Interstate 285 passes through the Sugar Creek Golf Club.

05/28/05

SR 155 follows Flat Shoals Road south from Panthersville and Exit 48 to Snapfinger Road. SR 155 extends north along Candler Road by the nearby Gallery at South Dekalb mall. Points of interest for Exit 48 include the GBI Headquarters and the Georgia Perimeter University Dekalb Campus.

09/22/22

SR 155 combines with U.S. 23 in the city of Decatur and continues from there northward to North Atlanta and Chamblee. SR 155 travels 57.07 miles overall from U.S. 19/41, south of Griffin, to SR 13 at Brookhaven.

09/22/22

A $34.77 million construction project through September 30, 2017 rebuilt the diamond interchange (Exit 48) with SR 155 (Flat Shoals Road). Work widened the Flat Shoals Road overpass, added bike lanes, and expanded the off-ramps to increase capacity.³

09/22/22

Sound barriers were erected along Interstate 285 within the vicinity of Flat Shoals Road as part of the interchange reconstruction project through 2017. This reassurance marker was posted after SR 155 by Shoal Creek.

05/28/05

Interstate 20 (Ralph D. Abernathy Freeway) travels east from Downtown Atlanta 11 miles to meet the Perimeter Highway at the succeeding exit. Started in Spring 2023, the I-285/I-20 East Interchange project through 2026 upgrades Exit 46 into a multi level systems interchange.

09/22/22

A lane drop occurs at Exit 46 B for I-20 east to Conyers and Augusta. The forthcoming exchange (Pierre Howard Interchange) remains partially in its original configuration, though the southbound roadway of I-285 south was realigned to travel side by side with the northbound roadway. The shift repurposed the old southbound lanes into a c/d roadway, both eliminating a left exit ramp and reducing weaving traffic.

09/22/22

Exit 46B departs from I-285 north at the Rainbow Drive overpass. Interstate 20 continues eastward through the Atlanta metropolitan area to Covington and Exit 92. Beyond there I-20 transitions into a rural freeway to Augusta.

09/06/20

I-20 within the Perimeter Highway is designated the Ralph D. Abernathy Freeway, in honor of a former Atlanta mayor. The freeway enters the East Atlanta neighborhood beyond the Gresham Park and Decatur areas en route to central Atlanta, Douglasville and the western suburbs.

09/22/22