State officials have taken the first steps to launch another mammoth road construction project in metro Atlanta.
On Thursday the State Road and Tollway Authority approved an agreement that will pave the way for construction of a new I-285 interchange at I-20 east of Atlanta. The agreement spells out SRTA’s role in the project, as well as the work of the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Construction on the new interchange won’t begin until 2022. But GDOT is expected to solicit qualifications from potential contractors next month.
In addition to new interchange ramps, the project includes additional lanes on both highways and the replacement of various bridges.
GDOT says the work will improve traffic flow and safety at an interchanged considered a major bottleneck for truck traffic traveling through the region. About 200,000 vehicles a day travel through the intersection.
GDOT will contract with a private company to design and build the new I-285/I-20 interchange. SRTA will help finance the project, which is expected to cost $350 million to $450 million. The work should be completed in 2025.
It's GDOT's latest effort to improve major interchanges across the region. Work on a new I-285 interchange at Ga. 400 may be finished late this year. Work on a new I-285 interchange at I-20 west of Atlanta is tentatively set to begin in 2023.
