Postponed full closure of 2 miles of I-285 rescheduled for this weekend

Caption

Traffic will be diverted through downtown Atlanta during an unusual full closure of I-285.

Atlanta-area motorists dodged a traffic tangle last weekend but probably won’t be able to avoid it again this weekend.

Rain delayed construction and a planned full weekend closure of one of the region’s most-traveled corridors on Mother’s Day weekend, May 8 through May 11.

The unusual project on a 2-mile stretch of Interstate 285 is expected to create traffic bottlenecks far beyond the immediate area.

On Monday, the Georgia Department of Transportation said that the closure from Cascade Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is now scheduled for May 15 through May 18.

It's a full highway shutdown in both directions from 7 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday.

Traffic will be diverted downtown via I-20, I-75/85 and Langford Parkway.

"It has the potential to be a real traffic nightmare not only for the west side perimeter commuters, but for any drivers trying to get into and through the city," said Mark McKay, traffic reporter for Atlanta talk radio WSB 95.5 FM, where traffic coverage is 24/7.

Foul weather is unlikely to stall the project again since the National Weather Service predicts sunny skies Friday through Monday.

The closure is part of a $206 million effort to repair and replace concrete slabs along the I-285 west side corridor. 

GDOT said the full closure is required for motorist and worker safety since construction crews will be milling and grinding existing concrete pavement and preparing for slab repair and replacement.

The traffic bottlenecks could frustrate large events taking place in the area, including multiple high school and college commencement ceremonies, a two-day electronic music festival, a gaming and e-sports lifestyle conference and an Atlanta Braves game.