If you have lived in Atlanta for an extended period of time you know we have more than four seasons. Yes, we have the traditional winter, spring, summer and fall, but we also have many sub-seasons that are just as or even more important that the four traditional seasons.
For example, we have just started college football season which is arguably the most important and most eagerly anticipated season of the year. We also have hunting season which to many people is the highlight of their year. We also have the much less popular pollen season that begins when the first yellow dot lands on our cars and seemingly never ends. Allergy sufferers despise pollen season. In fact, the only people that probably like pollen season are those who own car washes.
Tomorrow however, starts the least popular season of them all, traffic season. You might have thought that traffic season started a month ago when schools in the metro area started back up. While it is true, traffic has gotten much worse since students and teachers returned, the true start of traffic season begins tomorrow morning, the first day after Labor Day.
Historically, the day after Labor Day signals the return of the worst traffic conditions of the year. Summer vacations are officially over so everyone is back on the roads. No one, and I mean no one, is happy about the start of traffic season including me. If you thought traffic was bad last week (and it certainly was) you can expect it to get even worse starting Tuesday morning.
What should you expect on the roads?
For Interstate 75 drivers you can expect delays to stretch from Bartow County down to Interstate 285 and then again inside the perimeter from West Paces Ferry.
If you drive on GA 400 daily delays will start well north of Pilgrim Mill Road.
Your trip time from Alpharetta will also increase significantly.
Down Interstate 85 delays will form north of the Gwinnett County line and the rough ride down from Highway 316 will get even worse, sometimes stretching all the way into midtown.
Expect extra aggravation on I-285 on the east, west and north sides of town. Add a good 20 percent to your trip time every morning.
Along I-20 on the east side plan on daily delays to start well before Turner Hill Road.
Westside commuters can count on delays every morning from Highway 92 in Douglas County to I-285. Not to mention the jams on I-20 approaching downtown.
The biggest change in traffic on Tuesday morning might be I-75 in Henry County. After a fairly tranquil summer, I predict heavy delays to start tomorrow heading between McDonough and Stockbridge. And of course the Downtown Connector ride northbound (which is always rough), is going to get even slower.
Hopefully you savored the start of college football season over the weekend because the worst season of all is going to be staring you straight in the face when you get behind the wheel tomorrow morning.
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