Metro Atlanta braces for bottleneck ahead of I-285 weekend shutdown

The Georgia Department of Transportation will shut down a portion of Interstate 285 in both directions this weekend on the west side of Atlanta.

Starting Friday night, the closure will stretch from Exit 7 at Cascade Road to Exit 9 at Martin Luther King Jr.

Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Natalie Dale said this weekend's construction isn't due to the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Instead, it's part of the three-year project to rebuild the interstate from South Fulton Parkway to Paces Ferry Road.

"I wish we were going to be out of the roads before the World Cup, but this is, you know, again, this is a three-year commitment to reconstruct a third of a major highway in Atlanta," Dale said.

Dale said this is the first of many road closures associated with the project.

The shutdown is expected to create bottlenecks throughout the weekend, including on Mother's Day.

Dale said it's hard to find a weekend in Atlanta that isn't busy.

"Whether it's concerts, sporting events, or graduation or holidays like Mother's Day, it's really hard to thread the needle on you know finding a weekend where an event isn't happening," Dale said.

The I-285 West Side Rebuild is a $370 million project that aims to repair deteriorating pavement conditions, improve safety for drivers, and improve ride quality.

Dale said the corridor is past its useful life.

"I mean, you look at the corridor and some of the potholes, I think one of the comments I saw was that the pothole was as big as a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment," Dale said. "When you have infrastructure that no longer meets the needs, that is in need of dire repair, we have to prioritize that."

Lt. Ed Starling with the Georgia Department of Public Safety said people should expect significant traffic delays this weekend.

"I would expect that collector roads that will be alternate routes are going to get full as well," Starling said.

Starling said people should pay extra attention this weekend and minimize distractions while driving.

"We still need to leave plenty of room between cars, and you know, avoid distractions within your cars," Starling said. "Slow down, just be safe in and around that area so that everyone else can be safe with you."

Dale said the contractor is expected to close the interstate around 9 p.m. on Friday, but crews may be on the road beginning at 7 p.m.

The closure is expected to last through 5 a.m. on Monday.

However, Dale said if there is severe weather this weekend, they could postpone the work. That decision would be made by Friday morning.