If you’re planning on battling cabin fever by getting out and about this weekend, pack an umbrella for the expected rain and patience for roadwork that will block lanes on several metro Atlanta interstates.
Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said the chance of rain is 20 percent Saturday, increasing to 40 percent Sunday. The good news is temperatures should be above freezing throughout the weekend, so precipitation will just be rain and not a repeat of the snow and ice that sent Atlanta into gridlock on Tuesday.
Nitz said afternoon highs will be in the mid-50s Saturday and mid-60s Sunday, with morning lows in the mid-30s Saturday and mid-40s Sunday.
Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman Mark McKinnon said sign work will shut down two lanes of I-85 in each direction between Clairmont and Lenox roads all weekend.
In Cobb County, bridge work will shut down the two left lanes of I-285 eastbound at I-75 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly, while in downtown Atlanta, bridge work will block multiple lanes of I-75/85 in both directions between Freedom Parkway and University Avenue each night.
“We are glad to see some warmer temperatures,” GDOT district construction engineer Shun Pringle said. “If we can dodge the showers on Sunday, we should be able to make some good progress on some of these projects.”
Events that could add to downtown traffic this weekend include a 7:30 p.m. Hawks game at Philips Arena on Saturday.
Also this weekend, the 36th annual Groundhog Day Juggler’s Festival will be held Friday through Sunday at the Yaarab Shrine Center on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
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