Police activity shut down all northbound lanes of the Downtown Connector at North Avenue NW, stranding drivers in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams for miles through Midtown and Downtown Atlanta on October 30, 2026 (Credit: Georgia Department of Transpor
ATLANTA - All northbound lanes on the Downtown Connector have reopened Friday night after police activity brought traffic to a complete standstill through the center of the city.
What we know:
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) confirmed that all northbound travel lanes on Interstate 75/85 at North Avenue NW are open to traffic.
Emergency crews and Atlanta police units originally shut down the entire northbound side shortly after 9 p.m. due to police activity. The closure brought highway traffic to a halt for nearly an hour.
GDOT traffic cameras show highway speeds are gradually returning to normal, but residual delays may remain on a busy Friday night.
Drivers should continue to expect slow-moving conditions through the downtown corridor while the backlog of vehicles clears out.
What we don't know:
AAtlanta police have not publicly released details regarding the specific police activity that prompted the emergency response and highway closure.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Georgia Department of Transportation and GDOT traffic cameras.