I-285 roadwork closure: Lanes reopen at 5 a.m. Monday

I-285 W reconstruction ending on Monday

A portion of I-285 W is set to reopen on Monday after being fully closed over the weekend while crews worked to complete reconstruction.

ATLANTA - A major section of I-285 began to reopen at 5 a.m. Monday after an extensive highway reconstruction project. As of 5 a.m., the southbound lanes were completely open, but only one lane heading north had reopened. However, they are all expected to reopen shortly. 

What we know:

Crews shut down a part of I-285 in Fulton County between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Cascade Road over the weekend. The closure is part of a multimillion-dollar project to rebuild the old roadway rather than just putting down new asphalt.

State transportation workers needed a full shutdown because the original concrete slabs under the highway are 60 years old. Drivers experienced significant traffic backups throughout the metro area as a result of the work.

What they're saying:

One Atlanta driver said the roadwork can't be done quick enough. 

"They need to hurry up because the lanes are uneven. People don't know which lane they're supposed to be in. So it's really dangerous, so I would like them to hurry up," said Ashley Banks. 

"This is not resurfacing, this is a full depth reconstruction of a major interstate that has a lot of traffic on it. So how do you do that? Well, you have to shut it down," said GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale. "If you don't want to be on the road, don't be on the road if you don't have to, but if you are having to be out and about within the metro Atlanta area, then you really need to plan ahead."

What's next:

The weekend shutdown is only the first of several similar closures that will hit the highway over the coming months. The entire reconstruction initiative is not expected to be completely finished until 2028.

What we don't know:

GDOT has not announced the exact calendar dates or specific locations for the upcoming highway shutdowns that will follow this weekend project. State authorities have also not shared a detailed spending breakdown showing exactly how much of the multimillion-dollar budget is being used for this single Fulton County zone.

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