GDOT Hosting Open House On Proposed I-285 Top End Express Lanes

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The Georgia Department of Transportation will host a series of public information open houses regarding the proposed I-285 Top End Express Lanes in Cobb, Fulton, and DeKalb counties as well as three of the six I-285 Advanced Improvement Projects: I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane Extension, the I-285 Westbound Collector-Distributor Lanes, and the I-285/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Interchange Improvements. All projects are part of the Major Mobility Investment Program, which seeks to enhance mobility and safety, fuel economic growth, and improve quality of life.

The I-285 Top End Express Lanes project proposes to construct express lanes from just south of Paces Ferry Road (Exit 18) in Cobb County to Henderson Road in DeKalb County, plus a section of Ga. 400 from south of Glenridge Connector to the vicinity of the North Springs MARTA Station for system-wide connectivity. The proposed express lanes would improve mobility and travel time reliability along the I-285 corridor and become part of the larger Georgia Express Lanes network. The I-285 Top End Express Lanes will be delivered as two smaller construction packages – I-285 Top End East Express Lanes and I-285 Top End West Express Lanes – to maximize competition, maintain good pricing, and phase construction for improved maintenance of traffic during construction.

Advancing the improvement projects along I-285 into the construction phase ahead of the proposed I-285 Top End Express Lanes will provide localized road improvements earlier and help to mitigate traffic challenges during the construction of the express lanes. Offering additional opportunities to bid on these projects helps to maintain healthy competition among our construction developer partners and supports jobs in the construction industry.

The public is invited to attend the open house meetings to learn more about the I-285 Top End Express Lanes and I-285 Advanced Improvement Projects on the following dates, times, and locations:

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 21: Chamblee First United Methodist Church 4147 Chamblee Dunwoody Road Chamblee, GA 30341
• Noon to 2 p.m., 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23: City Springs 1 Galambos Way Sandy Springs, GA 30328
• Noon to 2 p.m., 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church 1978 Mt. Vernon Road Dunwoody, GA 30338
• Noon to 2 p.m., 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 30, The Gallery at Cobb Galleria
  1 Galleria Parkway Southeast Atlanta, GA 30339

The I-285 Top End Express Lanes project focuses on improved mobility and more reliable trip times. Project specifics include:

• 22 miles of new at-grade and elevated, barrier-separated express lanes in both directions of I-285 from just south of Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County to Henderson Road in DeKalb County, and along Ga. 400 from Glenridge Connector to the North Springs MARTA Station.
  • Two lanes in both directions are proposed between I-75 and I-85.
  • Single lanes in both directions are proposed from I-75 to Paces Ferry Road and from I-85 to Henderson Road.
• Several new bridges and access points to maintain traffic flow.
• Connectivity to the greater express lanes system by tying in to the existing Northwest Corridor Express Lanes and I-85 Express Lanes, and future Ga. 400 Express Lanes, I-285 Eastside Express Lanes, and I-285 Westside Express Lanes.

Project specifics for the I-285 Advanced Improvement Projects that will be represented at the open houses include:

• I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane Extension – extends an auxiliary lane between Roswell Road and Riverside Drive and replaces I-285/Mount Vernon Highway overpass bridge to provide relief between Major Mobility Investment Program project construction and allow for greater maintenance of traffic during express lanes construction.
• I-285 Westbound Collector-Distributor Lanes – extends lanes constructed under the Transform 285/400 Interchange project from Chamblee Dunwoody Road to Ashford Dunwoody Road to alleviate traffic congestion sooner.
• I-285/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Interchange Improvements – provides collector-distributor lanes and adjusts the horizontal curve of an exit ramp to reduce the bottleneck from I-285 to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard northbound.

The purpose of the open house meetings is to provide the public with opportunities to learn more about these projects, see project concepts, ask questions to project team representatives, and submit comments. The open houses will be informal, and the public is invited to attend at any time during these hours. There will be no formal presentation. The same information will be presented at all meetings. A court reporter will be available to allow the public an opportunity to make verbal comments about the projects.

Additional project information for the I-285 Top End Express Lanes can be found at http://www.dot.ga.gov/DS/GEL/I285TopEnd. A dedicated email and phone number (voicemail) is also available at TopEndExpressLanes@dot.ga.gov or 404-978-7490. Additional information regarding the I-285 Advanced Improvement Projects can be found on the project webpage www.majormobilityga.com/advancedprojects or through the dedicated project email address Advanced_Improvements@dot.ga.gov.