Traffic on the new I-75 South Metro Express Lanes got off to a slow start but picked up during their first week of operation.
On Monday the Georgia Department of Transportation released data showing that the lanes were lightly used on their first weekend an on their first weekday of operation. Drivers took only about 2,800 trips in the lanes on Monday Jan. 30, their first weekday.
But as the week picked up, more drivers found their way into the lanes. Traffic peaked last Thursday, when drivers took 4,900 trips in the lanes, GDOT reported.
The two new toll lanes – which stretch 11.5 miles in Clayton and Henry counties – are reversible. They carry traffic into Atlanta in the morning and out of town in the afternoon.
Through Feb. 10, the lanes are free, though drivers must have a Peach Pass to use them. After that date, drivers will pay anywhere from 10 cents to 90 cents a mile, with a minimum charge of 50 cents for any trip.
Here’s a look at the number of daily trips on the lanes, as reported by GDOT:
- Saturday, Jan. 28: 1,405
- Sunday, Jan. 29: 1,671
- Monday, Jan. 30: 2,828
- Tuesday, Jan. 31: 4,005
- Wednesday, Feb. 1: 4,150
- Thursday, Feb. 2: 4,900
- Friday, Feb. 3: 4,791
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