New I-20 westbound ramp system opens to improve traffic flow in Atlanta
If you drive through the east or west sides of the I-285 and I-20 interchange this week, big changes are here that could reshape how traffic flows through one of metro Atlanta's busiest corridors.
The Georgia Department of Transportation says a new dedicated connecting lane system on I-20 westbound at the I-285 interchange opened Thursday morning.
The new configuration will direct westbound I-20 drivers into barrier-separated lanes that lead directly to I-285 northbound, I-285 southbound, and Wesley Chapel Road, according to GDOT. The agency says traffic will shift into the new connector system about a half-mile before Wesley Chapel Road, with updated exit movements that include an earlier transition for Exit 67.
GDOT officials say the redesign is meant to reduce weaving and conflict points that have long contributed to slowdowns in the area and improve both safety and traffic flow.
The new system replaces the former I-20 westbound to I-285 southbound loop ramp as part of a broader effort to modernize the interchange. Crews will continue working in the corridor as the project moves into its final phase, with substantial completion still expected in the third quarter of 2026, according to GDOT.
Officials say the change is also designed to improve travel reliability through a key freight and commuter route on the east side of the metro area.
At the same time, GDOT is preparing for another major traffic disruption tied to a separate project on the opposite side of the perimeter.
The agency says a full closure of Interstate 285 is scheduled from 7 p.m. Friday, June 5, through 5 a.m. Monday, June 8, weather permitting. The shutdown will affect both directions of I-285 between State Route 139/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Cascade Road in Fulton County.
The closure impacts the same stretch of interstate that was shut down earlier this month and is part of the ongoing I-285 Westside reconstruction project, which spans 10 miles from South Fulton Parkway in College Park to Collier Road. The project is focused on replacing concrete slabs along the corridor and carries an estimated cost of $206 million, according to GDOT.
No additional full closures are planned from mid-June through mid-July, though GDOT says overnight and weekend lane closures may still occur. The overall project is scheduled for completion in 2028.
