Deputies have a new warning for drivers who use Georgia 400 in the afternoon: Do not use the emergency lane to get around traffic.
Traffic backups are common on Ga. 400 near the Fulton-Forsyth county line during the morning commute, and there are areas where it is legal to drive on the shoulder in a flex-lane.
But coming home in the afternoon, going north into Forsyth, it is not legal to drive in that emergency lane. And the sheriff's office is cracking down.
Drivers say the bottleneck usually starts over the county line near exit 12 at McFarland Parkway.
"People are stuck for hours on that exit," said driver Whitney Gardner.
But in the last couple weeks, drivers are now greeted with a warning sign.
Deputies are pulling over anyone using the shoulder to get around slow or stopped traffic.
For some drivers trying to get home, it's frustrating.
"So it backs up, backs up and stays backed up. So I understand why they do it," Gardner said.
The confusion may be due to the fact the shoulder lane is legal during morning and afternoon rush hours south of the exit.
One driver says authorities should make it all the same.
"It did wonders for Windward Parkway in the mornings, so can't imagine it wouldn't help get people getting off here anyway; get them out of the way so other people can go on," said one driver.
But the sheriff's office says the lane is for emergencies only and needed for ambulances trying to get to nearby hospitals. That's why they're warning drivers that they are focusing on the violations and increasing patrols.
For the first week, Forsyth County deputies say they're mostly just giving warnings instead of giving tickets.
In Sandy Springs, police have been writing tickets for the same kinds of violations on I-285. Over 230 tickets have been written in the last two-and-a-half years.
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