Next time you head to Hartsfield-Jackson International, the diversions may involve road traffic instead of air traffic.
Airport officials are warning travelers of a major shift in traffic patterns into the domestic terminal for southbound drivers. The detours — expected to start within the next few days, depending on the weather — will accommodate a construction project.
The best strategy will be to observe the 25 mph speed limit and and follow signs marking the new traffic pattern, officials say. It may take a few minutes longer to get to the north and south domestic terminals, they said.
The traffic shift was supposed to happen early this week, but could be delayed a week or so by wet weather. The detours will be in place until April or May of next year, when a new round of re-routings will begin with the next phase of construction.
It’s all part of a nearly $60 million road construction project that began in August 2012 and will wrap up about a year from now.
In the works are new overpasses to separate traffic coming from I-85 from cars coming from Camp Creek Parkway, “so they won’t have to criss-cross anymore,” airport assistant general manager Jim Drinkard said.
The new configuration will allow more time for drivers to make decisions, reduce traffic-weaving and yielding and increase sight distance.
For now, “We’re still in kind of the painful portion of the project,” said Kathryn Masters, the airport’s assistant director of project development.
But airport general manager Louis Miller said when the work is done, “it’s going to be a huge improvement.”
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