Major work begins on one of metro Atlanta’s worst traffic bottlenecks at the I-285/GA 400 interchange (Roswell: construction, costs)

[Born 2 Roll]

On Tuesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an article noting that major construction activities are officially underway on the massive multi-year project to expand, reconstruct/rebuild the major freeway interchange that is the site of one of the absolute worst traffic bottlenecks at Georgia 400 and the Top End of the Interstate 285 Perimeter.

Major construction activities are expected to continue on the project for the next three years through at least 2020 and will include the addition of new collector-distributor lanes along about 4.3 miles of the Top End I-285 Perimeter through the GA 400 interchange between the GA 9 Roswell Road and Ashford-Dunwoody Road interchanges.

The project will also include the construction of new collector-distributor lanes along about 6.2 miles of Georgia 400 through the I-285 interchange up to north of the Abernathy Road interchange where a new diverging diamond interchange will be constructed.

The project will also include the construction of two new flyover ramps from GA 400 southbound to I-285 eastbound and from I-285 westbound to GA 400 southbound as well as the construction of a new "fly under" ramp from I-285 eastbound to GA 400 northbound.

The project will notably include the elimination of some particularly increasingly dangerous (deadly) transition ramps that merge traffic directly into the high-speed far-left lanes of GA 400 northbound and southbound... Two left-hand merges that have been the sites of some particularly deadly collisions through the years and decades since the opening of the ITP GA 400 extension south to I-85 back in the early-mid 1990's.

One statistic that especially stands out about the project (a project which is basically about 25 years overdue) is that about 420,000 vehicles currently use the I-285/GA 400 interchange... An interchange which was built to handle the movements of only about 100,000 vehicles!

Before the very long overdue reconstruction, the I-285/GA 400 interchange has been handling 320% more traffic (or about four times more traffic) than it was designed to handle.

"Major work begins on one of metro Atlanta’s worst traffic bottlenecks" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Major work begins on Atlanta traffic bottleneck

[Atlwarrior]

Dang! 25 years overdue the article says. My Goodness!

[mattee01]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

Dang! 25 years overdue the article says. My Goodness!

I know! Amazing they got to it this early 🤣🤣🤣

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

Dang! 25 years overdue the article says. My Goodness!

Originally Posted by mattee01

I know! Amazing they got to it this early 🤣🤣🤣

Yep.

The extension of Georgia 400 inside the Perimeter through Buckhead down to I-85 began construction in 1990 and was completed in 1993.

Georgia state government should have completed this project to reconstruct the I-285/GA 400 as well as constructed the missing ramps between I-85 and GA 400 back when it completed the GA 400 ITP extension in the early 1990's.

But just like with all other issues concerning transportation infrastructure that don't involve the simple task of laying pavement through sparsely-developed areas in rural Georgia, Georgia state government did not want to pay to complete the I-285/GA 400 interchange reconstruction back when doing so would have cost a fraction of what it costs today.

[cqholt]

This will solve all the congestion issues!

[Atlanta Scientist]

It won't solve the congestion issue but it'll make that interchange safer. I have a mini heart attack when I have to drive and use that interchange.

[tikigod311]

I think I remember hearing that they were setting some ROW aside or designing for potential future transit. Anyone know if I am just being an optimistic revisionist or is this happening?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

I think I remember hearing that they were setting some ROW aside or designing for potential future transit. Anyone know if I am just being an optimistic revisionist or is this happening?

Maybe for future HOT lanes

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Maybe for future HOT lanes

Meh.

But I guess if some state laws were changed to allow funding transit that could be converted to transit ROW. Skewing optimistic again...

[Radical_Thinker]

Originally Posted by Columbia Scientist

It won't solve the congestion issue but it'll make that interchange safer. I have a mini heart attack when I have to drive and use that interchange.

You can say that again - I've nearly flipped my vehicle over trying to make that curve going from 400 S to 285 E. I expect freeway interchanges to be nice and easy even at 55 mph - not a hair-raising carnival ride...lol.