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Roads & Transit · Atlanta

I-285 west side closes in both directions this weekend for rebuild work

By Terminus Roads Desk · Edited by Channing Webb ·

File photo of northbound Interstate 285 in DeKalb County, Georgia, approaching a one-mile exit sign
File photo of I-285 in DeKalb County, not the west-side closure segment. Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

Quick Read

  • What: All lanes close on I-285 northbound and southbound on the west side of Atlanta and in Smyrna.
  • When: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, Eastern time, weather and on-site conditions permitting.
  • Where: Northbound between South Atlanta Road (exit 16) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15). Southbound between Paces Ferry Road (exit 18) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15).
  • Detours: I-75, the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector and I-20. Check the 511GA app or call 511 before you go.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will close all lanes on Interstate 285 on the west side of Atlanta and in Smyrna this weekend so crews can mill and replace concrete slabs on the I-285 Westside Rebuild.

The closure is scheduled from 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, Eastern time, weather and on-site conditions permitting, according to a GDOT news release dated Nov. 12. Officials say motorists should expect extreme delays and choose another route.

Which stretches close

Northbound, all lanes close between South Atlanta Road (exit 16) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15). Southbound, all lanes close between Paces Ferry Road (exit 18) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15), GDOT said. The same window is listed on GDOT's metro Atlanta weekend lane-closure schedule and on the project's official site.

Traffic approaching the closure will be detoured to I-75, the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector and I-20. Roadside message boards will warn drivers of lane shifts and closures.

Why the work is happening

The shutdown is part of the I-285 Westside Rebuild, a concrete slab reconstruction and rehabilitation project from Collier Drive in Fulton County to Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County. Crews will grind the roadway concrete so slabs can be repaired or replaced. The work also covers shoulder lanes, the concrete median, signage, guardrail and traffic-management systems, GDOT said.

A Nov. 12 GDOT release describes this slab project as a $155 million job scheduled for completion in 2029. The department's project site describes the overall west-side rebuild, which includes three projects, as a $370 million investment, with work expected to finish in the spring of 2029.

What to do before you drive

GDOT says people who use this part of I-285 should allow much more time or pick another route now. The department asks drivers to treat the 511GA app as the main source for live traffic and closure details, or to call 511. Schedules can change if the weather turns or conditions on site are not safe.

The project site also lists another full weekend closure, weather permitting, from 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23, between State Route 166/Langford Parkway and Camp Creek Parkway.

Sources