2 Lanes To Close, New Exit Opening On I-285 In DeKalb

ATLANTA, GA — Starting next week, a new exit ramp will open and two lanes of traffic on Interstate 285 in DeKalb County will be closed as crews move into a new phase of a construction project there.

At 9 a.m. on Monday, March 12, all traffic will be shifted onto the new I-285 westbound exit ramp to the Flat Shoals Road/State Route 155 exit.

Signs, barrels and barricades will guide drivers onto the new exit ramp. Crews spent this past weekend removing concrete barriers and paving the new ramp to be open to traffic next week.

In addition, two left lanes and the shoulder on I-285 westbound between Panthersville Road and Clifton Spring Road will be closed for about two miles. Weather permitting, crews will begin installing new bridge beams in that area.

"Moving traffic onto the new ramp and setting beams for the bridge are major milestones for this important interchange improvement project," said the state Department of Transportation's metro Atlanta districtx engineer, Kathy Zahul. "We are proud that the project is back on schedule and one step closer to a successful completion. We are thankful for the patience that the community has shown during construction of this vital, $33 million project."

The project is designed to help handle the increasing traffic volume on Flat Shoals Road and on I-285. The completed bridge will provide two through-lanes in each direction, bike lanes on both sides, and dual left-turn lanes from Flat Shoals onto I-285, as well as widened and extended on- and off-ramps.

The estimated completion date for the project is February 2019 and the new bridge and ramps are expected to be open to traffic by December 31, 2018, weather permitting, the DOT says. Drivers in the area are reminded to reduce their speeds in the work zone.

Photo courtesy Georgia Department of Transportation