All lanes of Interstate 285 eastbound at Peachtree Industrial in DeKalb County were reportedly cleared as of 9:35 p.m. following a two-car crash earlier in the evening that led to the closure of five of six lanes of travel.
No major incidents or heavy patches of traffic were being reported in metro Atlanta Wednesday with just over two hours to go until the new year.
Traffic downtown will likely become heavy this evening as revelers head into the city to ring in the New Year at Underground Atlanta’s Peach Drop and other Wednesday night events.
Parking will be limited around Underground Atlanta, so those planning on heading there for the celebration are encouraged to take MARTA.
MARTA trains on the Red and Gold lines are running about every 12 minutes until the end of service, with both running continuously from North Springs and Doraville Stations south to the Airport. Tonight’s last trains for the Red, Gold and Blue lines will leave from Five Points Station around 2 a.m., WSB radio reports.
MARTA buses will be operating tonight on a schedule for normal Saturday bus service. Click here to learn more about MARTA's bus service.
For those choosing Uber for their New Year’s Eve ride, officials for the ride service recommend catching a ride right after the peach drops at midnight or waiting several hours for fares to return to normal, as they expect the highest demand and highest fares between 12:30 and 4 a.m.
Follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter for updates.
Law enforcement will be on the lookout for those driving under the influence of alcohol. Under the Operation Zero Tolerance campaign, Georgia State Troopers will be teaming up with other law enforcement officials to target impaired drivers. Officials with the Georgia Department of Public Safety also encourage drivers to obey speed limits and refrain from texting and driving, while drivers and their passengers should always wear their seatbelts and keep children properly restrained.
For those prepared to brave the chilly weather as part of their New Year’s Eve celebrations, Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz says temperatures will come down into the 30s before the peach drops downtown, with the mercury expected to hover around the 35-degree mark at midnight.
The first morning of 2015 will start at or below the freezing mark in Atlanta, but those in the suburbs may see temps in the upper 20s. The afternoon will see partly cloudy skies and high temps in the low 50s.
The year’s first weekend will feature rain moving in Friday, with the wet weather continuing off and on through the weekend. Rainfall totals between 1-2 inches are expected, Nitz said.
About the Author
