UPDATE [10:20 p.m.]: The gas main break has been repaired, allowing Lenox Road to reopen, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
ORIGINAL STORY: It's been a slow evening commute across metro Atlanta, but nowhere has been slower than Buckhead.
A gas line break has all westbound lanes of Lenox Road blocked near Ga. 400, which is forcing surface street traffic onto the busy freeway, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
The line was damaged by a third-party contracted construction crew, and Atlanta Gas Light crews are working to repair the break, Southern Company Gas spokeswoman Mekka Parish told AJC.com.
Several interstates near metro Atlanta are also having a rough afternoon, including the Perimeter in Clayton County. A crash has two left lanes of the outer loop blocked at I-75, the Traffic Center reported.
A stall on I-75 North is blocking a center lane of the interstate near Mount Paran Road, which is causing delays into Midtown, the Traffic Center reported.
At least it’s been beautiful this afternoon, with low humidity and comfortable temperatures across North Georgia, according to Channel 2 Action News.
It doesn’t quite feel like July weather, but Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said we’ll take it.
“There’s not much in the way of rain in the forecast the next several days,” he said. “We're enjoying it, and it’s going to last into your weekend.”
Temperatures reached the mid-80s, punctuated by lots of sunshine as North Georgia’s “weather winning streak” continues, Monahan said. All the moisture and mugginess is staying well to the south, he said, and the region is benefiting from the low humidity with below-average temperatures.
Most of North Georgia was in the low- to mid-60s to start the day, and Atlanta hit 86 degrees, which was the projected high for the day.
Monahan expects the sky to stay mainly clear through the overnight hours, setting North Georgia up for another comfortable start Friday. It won’t be quite as cool with more areas in the 70s, he said, and through Friday afternoon there will be a few more clouds in the sky.
Still, the forecast is pretty rain-free.
“The humidity will bump up a little bit over the next few days, but not so much the rain chance,” he said. “We’re staying dry today, tomorrow and Saturday.”
There is a 10% chance of an isolated shower Sunday, but Monahan said it won’t do much to dampen weekend plans. Higher rain chances return to North Georgia next week, he said.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
