TRAFFIC ALERT: Morning rain causing problems on slick metro Atlanta roads
Slow down and give yourself extra time for this Monday morning commute. Several crashes on metro Atlanta roads are causing intermittent closures and delays amid steady rain.
After months of no rain, the metro area is getting drenched with persistent showers that have been falling since Sunday. All that water is washing away the oil and fallen leaves that have collected on dry roads and making for a slick ride into work or school, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan warned.
Additionally, some storm drains may be unable to handle the runoff and lead to pooling in certain areas.
“Unfortunately, it’s one of those mornings where you’re going to run into the brake lights no matter where you go,” WSB traffic reporter Mike Shields said.
At one point, at least 11 collisions were affecting metro area interstates and highways, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
One of the crashes to cause a big snarl was on I-285 North just before I-20 West and past Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Atlanta’s west side, according to GDOT.
A spinout crash blocked lanes intermittently throughout the morning, with all lanes being blocked at one point just before 6 a.m. By 6:30 a.m., some lanes started reopening, but heavy delays persisted throughout the morning.
As crews worked on that crash, another one popped up farther north on the Perimeter in Cobb County. Shortly after 6 a.m., a wreck on I-285 South just past South Cobb Drive blocked traffic. At one point, all lanes were briefly closed.
In DeKalb County, on the Perimeter’s east side, a crash intermittently shut down southbound lanes just before Memorial Drive since shortly before 6 a.m.
Another crash affected traffic on I-20 West at Salem Road in Rockdale County. It happened around 5:20 a.m., according to GDOT. At one point, all lanes were closed but reopened by 6:40 a.m.
“The roads are very wet,” Shields said. “Slow your speeds as you head out the door this morning.”
