Tuesday’s persistent rain has led to crashes, downed trees and heavy delays for metro Atlanta’s drivers ahead of the evening commute.
In Cobb County, major delays remain after a tractor-trailer jackknifed on I-75, shutting down all northbound lanes just past the Canton Road exit.
All lanes reopened just before 4:30 p.m., but delays are reported back to Delk Road, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Drivers are encouraged to take Cobb Parkway or the express lanes to avoid congestion.
In DeKalb County, another crash involving a tractor-trailer is causing backups in the northbound lanes of I-285 just before the I-85 interchange. At least one right lane is blocked.
Drivers are also seeing major delays in south Atlanta after a wreck involving multiple vehicles shut down I-85 South near Metropolitan Parkway. All lanes remained blocked shortly after 4 p.m. Drivers looking to avoid the gridlock are urged to use I-75 or take Northside Drive to Metropolitan Parkway and back to I-85.
The afternoon storms are also causing headaches for drivers on metro Atlanta’s surface streets.
In Kennesaw, the southbound lanes of Cobb Parkway recently reopened after a driver lost control, ran off the road and crashed into a swampy area, officials said. The wreck occurred about 3:30 p.m. just south of Old 41 Highway, the Cobb County Department of Transportation said in a tweet.
The car has since been removed and all southbound lanes have reopened.
In Smyrna, Pat Mell Drive has been shut down near Wells Drive for nearly three hours after a tree fell into the road, bringing power lines down with it.
Georgia Power crews are still working to clear the scene, but it’s unclear how long it may take to reopen the road.
And in Gwinnett County, a stretch of Jimmy Carter Boulevard has reopened after a tree and power lines fell near Wandering Way, blocking the road for about three hours, police said in a tweet.
While the rain has eased up in some parts of metro Atlanta, Polk and Haralson counties remain under a flash flood warning until 8:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
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