I-85 ramp to 10th Street now open

The light at the end of the tunnel got a little brighter today for Midtown commuters who have navigated around closed streets, ramps and bridges for more than a year.

Just after 10 a.m., the state Department of Transportation opened a new ramp from I-85 southbound to 10th Street, giving motorists another route into Midtown.

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BOB ANDRES / bandres@ajc.com

This SUV was one of the first cars on the new ramp from I-85 to 10th Street.

• Photos: Ramp reopens
• Flashback: Construction begins
• Early photos: Bridge closed for 18 months
• Interactive map: How to get around the work

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The ramp is only for those traveling south on I-85, said DOT spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan. Motorists will access the new ramp from the 17th Street exit, Exit 84.

The $88.5 million, three-year project to rebuild the 14th Street Bridge and its Downtown Connector ramps has been jamming and rerouting traffic near Georgia Tech and Midtown neighborhoods since 2007.

The 10th Street ramp is the project’s first major opening. The new 14th Street Bridge should open later this year, and the DOT expects a new ramp to 17th Street from I-75/85 northbound to open by spring 2010.

— Staff writer Ariel Hart contributed to this article.