Northwest Corridor express lanes open
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The new Northwest Corridor express lanes opened Saturday. This was no normal HOV lane, but the largest infrastructure undertaking of its kind in Georgia history.
The reversible lanes will help ease traffic along Interstates 75 and 575.
FOX 5 was allowed to drive the new lanes earlier in the week. The lanes will head southbound in the mornings and northbound in the evenings.
Navigating the new lanes can be tricky. Certain stretches of the new expressway will bypass some exits, making the flow of traffic more constant. Traffic planners suggest a visit to the official website to learn about the traffic patterns as well as entry and exit points.
Traffic managers tell FOX 5 News they hope to maintain a 'constant speed' of at least 45 miles per hour on the lanes at all times. There are accident investigation lanes nearly every mile, and the new expressway will be patrolled by a H.E.R.O (driver assistance) unit around-the-clock.
Traffic flow will be directed inbound until the Monday afternoon rush hour. At that point, the lanes will be reversed.
The lanes will be free for the first two weeks, but you do need a Peach Pass.