The project will add two barrier-separated lanes in both directions of the so-called Perimeter Highway between South Atlanta Road and Henderson Road and on Georgia 400 from south of the Glenridge Connector north to the vicinity of the North Springs MARTA station.
I-285 perennially ranks among the most congested stretches of highway in the nation, averaging 250,000 to 300,000 vehicles per day. The toll lanes are aimed at reducing congestion to provide more reliable trip times.
Georgia’s State Transportation Board voted last month to move forward with the project.
The open houses are part of a public comment period on the project that ends July 29. Here is the schedule for the four open houses:
- July 8 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Spring Hall Event Center, Doraville
- July 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Campbell Middle School, Smyrna
- July 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Dunwoody City Hall
- July 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – City Springs, Sandy Springs
GDOT’s project team also will host two live virtual sessions, one on July 9 from 5-7 p.m. and another on July 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Access details will be added on the day of the sessions at the project’s web page at https://i285topendexpresslanes-gdot.hub.arcgis.com.
The DOT also is working with MARTA to add a transit component to the project.
“These are two processes running commensurate with each other and integrated together,” Georgia Commissioner of Transportation Russell McMurry told members of the State Transportation Board Thursday.
MARTA is planning to run bus-rapid transit routes along I-285, with stops at a combination of new stations and existing MARTA stations.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
