I-285 to remain open this weekend after construction closure plans halted
Metro Atlanta drivers can breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
Plans to close a busy portion of I-285 for construction starting Friday have been canceled because of the weather forecast.
There’s no timeline yet for when the construction work will be rescheduled, Georgia Department of Transportation spokesperson Natalie Dale said.
Given the forecast, the contractor wasn’t sure they would be able to complete their work in time for roads to reopen Monday morning, Dale said.
The plan had been to close all lanes on I-285 between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (Exit 9) and Cascade Road (Exit 7) starting Friday night and continuing until Monday morning. The full closure on the Mother’s Day weekend was expected to cause significant disruptions as traffic was routed off the interstate and onto secondary roads and the Downtown Connector.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for North and Middle Georgia. The alert warns of “scattered showers and a few thunderstorms” possible Saturday into Sunday. The agency said the threat for severe weather “remains low, though a few strong storms cannot be ruled out.”
In metro Atlanta, forecasters say there’s a chance for showers and thunderstorms late Friday and Saturday, particularly before noon. The chance for storms returns Sunday.
The planned work is part of the I-285 westside project. The interchange, one of the most congested truck bottlenecks in the country, is being rebuilt to speed up traffic flow and improve safety.
About the Authors
Sara Gregory covers transportation for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and writes about how residents navigate one of the most congested metros in the country. A Charlotte native, she joined the AJC in 2023 after working at newspapers in South Carolina and Virginia.
