Major construction is coming to I-285 later this year as Georgia prepares to add new toll lanes along the east side of the Perimeter.

The first phase of the project will be construction of several new bridges over I-285 in DeKalb County — at Covington Highway, Redwing Circle and Glenwood Road. On Tuesday the Georgia Department of Transportation announced it has selected two companies to design and build the project: Archer Western Construction of Atlanta and Infrastructure, Consulting & Engineering of Norcross.

Though the price is still under negotiation, GDOT expects the project to cost $53 million to $64 million.

Construction will begin by the end of this year, with the work completed by mid-2023. That’s nearly a year and a half sooner than GDOT’s required deadline.

The bridge replacement is part of a larger effort to build toll lanes along the east side of I-285 from I-20 to Henderson Road. The lanes are expected to open in 2028.

The toll lanes are part of a 10-year, $10 billion road construction program made possible when the General Assembly approved a gas tax increase in 2015.

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