Multiple lane closings on I-85 this weekend could mean a carmaggedon for spring breakers and others traveling through downtown Atlanta.
Up to four southbound lanes near Ga. 400 will be closed all weekend, likely making for teeth-gritting delays, Georgia Department of Transportation officials said in a press release late Thursday afternoon.
Weather permitting, the work will occur on I-85 southbound from a half-mile north of Clairmont Road to North Druid Hills Road. Rain expected on Saturday could change those plans, said GDOT Commissioner Keith Golden.
An average of nearly 200,000 vehicles a day travel that section of I-85 in both directions, although traffic is lighter on weekends.
Four of the road’s six southbound lanes will be closed between midnight and 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and from midnight to 5 a.m. Monday. Triple-lane closures will be in effect during the daylight hours.
All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.
The closures were planned so work crews can replace overhead signs for the I-85/Ga. 400 interchange project, which links the two roads directly via new ramps. The project has already been delayed by the severe winter weather, but officials are hoping to get the ramps open by April 2.
Spring break for most of metro Atlanta does not start until two or three weeks from now, Golden said, but officials want to be sure people are aware of the closures so that they avoid the area if possible.
“We can’t stop construction for all the month of March and all of April just so people can have weekends for spring break,” Golden said. “We can’t do work during the day. There comes a point when you’ve just got to do things.”
Officials advised anyone planning to go south on I-85 through that area to call 511 or look at a mapping website before leaving home.
Additionally, there will be rolling lane closures on the interstates across the metro area each night for sweeping operations, to clean up debris.
Several other weekend road projects are expected to cause delays, but most of them are to occur overnight. They include:
- A double left-lane closure on Ga. 400 South from Wieuca Road to Sidney Marcus Boulevard from 10 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday, and from 10 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday. That's for a MARTA project to remove a pedestrian bridge in the area.
- Triple left-lane closures on I-285 in both directions between Cobb Parkway and Peachtree Dunwoody Road for sign replacements from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday through Monday. The lanes will be open during the day.
- Two left lanes closed in both directions on I-20 in Douglas County between Liberty Road and Ga. 5 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday through Monday for concrete slab replacements.
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