The weather will be picture perfect this weekend – good news for those going to any of the numerous spring festivals around town, but bad news for motorists who could find construction delays on metro Atlanta interstates, particularly on I-20.
“Motorists are again asked to avoid non-essential travel on I-20,” Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Annalysce Baker-Wilson said. “Projects there will require lane closures, which, in turn, are likely to result in delays.”
Here’s what you need to know to avoid the roadwork blues:
Several projects planned on I-20 and I-285
Three eastbound lanes of I-20 will be closed between Langhorn Street and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard for bridge joint repairs, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday and continuing through 10 a.m. Sunday.
Outside the Perimeter, two westbound lanes of I-20 will be closed from Fulton Industrial Boulevard to Six Flags Parkway throughout the weekend. West of there, the eastbound exit ramp and westbound exit and entrance ramps at Thornton Road will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday for paving.
In Rockdale County, two lanes of I-20 in each direction will be closed all weekend between Almon Road and the Newton County line for paving.
On the southwest quadrant of the Perimeter, sign structure work will shut down two northbound lanes of I-285 from Camp Creek Parkway to Langford Parkway and one southbound lane from Cascade Road to Langford Parkway all weekend.
Two northbound lanes of I-285 will be closed from Hollowell Parkway to South Cobb Drive for concrete rehabilitation that will also shut down two southbound lanes between South Atlanta Road and South Cobb Drive throughout the weekend.
Also on I-285, two northbound lanes between Northlake Parkway and Chamblee Tucker Road will be closed for sign structure work from 7:30 p.m. Friday through 3 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday, a pacing operation will slow traffic traveling northbound and southbound on I-285 between South Atlanta Road and South Cobb Drive from 7 to 10 a.m.
Another pacing operation will at times shut down all northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 near Chastain Road from 9 p.m. until midnight Friday for bridge beam placement.
»Traffic updates all weekend from the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center
Weekend weather can be summed up in one word – sunny.
Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton is forecasting nothing but sunny skies throughout the weekend and the first part of next week.
Afternoon highs will be in the mid-70s Saturday and upper 70s Sunday, with morning lows in the low to mid-50s.
»Check the full forecast and track changes
Spring festival season in high gear
Saturday events include the Flowery Branch Spring Festival at the Old Train Depot in Flowery Branch, the Swing into Spring Festival at Starr Park in Forest Park, the Fire in the 4th Festival at Edgewood and Auburn avenues in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward community and the Atlanta Dog Jog at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody.
Festivals running Saturday and Sunday include the May-retta Daze Arts & Crafts Festival on the square in Marietta and the Snellville Days Festival at Briscoe Park in Snellville.
On Sunday, Centennial Olympic Park hosts the Fiesta Atlanta festival.
The Braves play the Reds Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon at Turner Field, while the Gwinnett Braves play Toledo Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field.
About the Author
