No matter where you live, it seems that road construction is a natural part of life, right?
I mean, roads need to be wider to accommodate more traffic (yeah, that’s a whole other discussion) or entire new roads need to be built.
And with road construction comes….you guessed it…MORE traffic in terms of delays as roads are closed, or detours created to handle the construction of that new road. Growing pains…
Well, as a resident of the Atlanta area since 1994, I’d say we’ve been rather lacking on major road construction. The GA-400 extension from I-85 through Buckhead to the now under construction I-285 connection opened in 1993. There was some construction at the interchange with Highway 316 and I-85 in Gwinnett County, but for the most part, We have not seen much new road construction.
Recently, new toll lanes opened on I-75 South of Atlanta and North of Atlanta…..and sadly, those were one lane that has to be reversed based on the major traffic flow. But, now, the I-285 and GA 400 interchange is going through a badly needed reconstruction/design that will be a huge improvement to the traffic in that area. But that is not the end of highway construction. Over the next ten (I’d say longer than that with the usual delays that come with highway building) we are going to be “Under Construction” on I-285 from I-20 on the West side to I-20 on the East side…just take a look:
- I-285/Ga. 400 interchange
- I-85 widening, Phase 2
- Ga. 400 toll lanes
- I-285/I-20 east interchange
- I-285/I-20 west interchange
- I-75 commercial vehicle lanes
- I-285/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard interchange
- I-285 eastside bridges
- I-285 westbound auxiliary lane extension
- I-285 toll lanes
So, buckle up, make sure the coffee cup is full (and maybe you better get an industrial sized one) and be prepared for some bumpy roads for the next few (many) years.
