GDOT Suspends Lane Closures During Thanksgiving Travel Period

ATLANTA, GA — The 2018 Thanksgiving holiday period has arrived in metro Atlanta, and officials responsible for ensuring roadways are safe for travel and enforcing laws on state highways and interstates are preparing for the onslaught of heavy traffic.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will suspend construction-related lane closures on primary state routes and interstates from 6 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26. If you use the new Northwest Corridor Express lanes along I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties, you should note that these lanes will follow their normal north-south schedule through Wednesday, Nov. 21.

The lanes will open southbound on Thanksgiving Day until Friday morning when they will transition back to northbound at 11 a.m. Nov. 23. At 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, the lanes switch to southbound and transform back over to northbound at 11:30 p.m. For Sunday, Nov. 25, the lanes will reverse back to southbound at 11 a.m. and the normal schedule will resume on Monday, Nov. 26.

If your driving route will take you along Interstate 75 south of Atlanta, you should note the South Metro Express Lanes will also run on an alternate schedule. The lanes, which run through Clayton and Henry counties, will follow their normal schedule and remain open southbound from Wednesday, Nov. 21 to 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 23 when they will transition to northbound. They will remain open for northbound travel only through the weekend until the normal commute schedule on Monday, Nov. 26.

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With the number of motorists hitting the road expected to spike, the Georgia State Patrol is preparing its troopers to respond to incidents during the 102-hour-long holiday period. Col. Mark McDonough, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said troopers will be patrolling secondary roads and interstates to thwart crashes and "deter bad driving behaviors."

“Plan your road trips wisely and allow plenty of time to reach your destination,” McDonough added. “Also remember to always buckle up, follow the speed limit, and under no circumstances should you drive distracted or impaired."

RELATED: Georgia Gas Prices Lower Than National Average Over Thanksgiving

According to AAA, this year is expected to produce the highest volume of Thanksgiving travelers since 2005, with 58.4 million of people planning to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday. They are predicting that the vast majority of travelers – 48.5 million – will be traveling by automobile.

During the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday period, the Georgia State Patrol investigated 665 crashes that resulted in 373 injuries and 11 fatalities. In addition to crash investigations, troopers arrested 278 people for driving under the influence, while issuing 11,184 citations and 15,507 warnings.

The State Patrol will provide an updated traffic fatality count on its Twitter feed. Motorists should remain alert on the roadways, as there could be crews still working close to highways. You should also brace for any incident management or emergency maintenance that could require lane closures.

MORE THANKSGIVING COVERAGE

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• GA Thanksgiving Store Closures 2018: TJ Maxx, Dillard's + More
• Record Number Of Holiday Travelers Expected At Atlanta Airport

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