Between a fundraising motorcycle ride expected to bring a thousand bikers into town, multiple special events downtown and the usual slew of road construction projects, this weekend is shaping up to be a rough one for motorists trying to navigate metro interstates.
Officials with the state Department of Transportation are warning that at 2 p.m. on Saturday, approximately 1,000 motorcycles will be headed down Ga. 400 from Roswell to I-285 eastbound, then down I-85 into downtown for the Rock-N-Ride benefit for the Grady Health Foundation and the Gold Shield Foundation for injured police officers and families of deceased officers.
The bikers will be escorted by Atlanta police and the Georgia State Patrol, and there will be various ramp and lane closures along the route.
Areas where motorists can expect road construction delays include I-75 northbound from Cleveland Avenue to University Avenue, I-285 westbound between Buford Highway and New Peachtree Road, I-20 westbound outside the Perimeter in DeKalb County, I-85 southbound in south Fulton and Coweta counties, I-285 southbound at I-20 on the westside, I-20 in both directions near Ga. 6 in Douglas County and Ga. 400 at the Toll Plaza. Full details are available on the traffic page at wsbradio.com
Events downtown include Atlanta Dream games on Friday night and Sunday afternoon at Philips Arena, a R. Kelly concert Saturday night at the arena and a volleyball tournament that begins Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center and is expected to draw a crowd of 38,000, according to the DOT.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist David Chandley is predicting a slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms daily through Sunday, with weekend highs climbing back into the low 90s.
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