It’s often one of the scariest days of the year on metro Atlanta roads. Halloween can leave drivers feeling tricked long before they get home for the treats.
That’s because parents all over town hope to make it home in time to get little ones ready for a night of trick-or-treating. And that will clog up the roads quickly, according to the WSB radio traffic center. Experts advise planning ahead to make it home safely.
“We ask that they please leave work as early as possible and have their minds focused on the road closer to 4 p.m. and later, as the younger ones trick-or-treat early,” Ashley Frasca, WSB traffic reporter, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Drivers with the Peach Pass should take advantage of it, she said.
The Georgia DOT says both metro Atlanta interstates and surface streets will be congested much earlier than normal Tuesday afternoon as drivers try to make it home and to holiday events.
“Travelers are urged to prepare to add 30 to 45 minutes of travel time,” GDOT said.
But that could be longer depending on the route. A particular hotspot for congestion is expected to be I-285 westbound at Ga. 400 and I-285 southbound at I-20 west, GDOT said.
In recent years, many Atlanta workers have chosen to either work from home or just a half-day on Halloween, helping ease some of the afternoon congestion, according to Doug Turnbull in the WSB traffic center.
“Midday traffic could be worse everywhere with the ‘half-dayers’ hitting the streets early,” Turnbull said.
And once off the interstates and major roadways, continue to be cautious driving through neighborhoods and on side streets, the traffic reporters advise. There will likely be more pedestrians than normal out, and Halloween is a particularly deadly day on the roads for children, according to AAA Auto Club Group.
“The best advice for the Halloween drive is this: Slow down and look up,” Turnbull said. “Drivers can easily forget about all of the extra pedestrian traffic that evening and the consequences can be deadly.”
Tune in to 95.5 WSB for continuous traffic updates throughout the day.
