The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) announced Wednesday that the suspension of lane closures on Georgia interstates and state routes begins Friday, August 30 at 12 p.m. and will run through 5 a.m. Tuesday, September 3. This is in anticipation of the Labor Day Weekend congestion of traffic across the state.
A release from Georgia DOT says while construction related lane closures will be suspended, they hope to reminds travelers to exercise caution as crews may still work near highways, and safety concerns may require some long-term lane closures to remain in place. They aslo note that incident management, emergency or maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary at any time on any route.
Georgia DOT’s 7-day travel forecast for metro Atlanta interstates this holiday weekend indicates that:
- Heavy traffic volumes will occur on Friday, August 30, and Saturday August 31.
- Typical traffic is predicted on Wednesday, August 28 and Thursday, August 29.
- Light traffic is expected on both Sunday, September 1 and Monday, September 2.
The Georgia DOT forecasts are based on historical traffic volumes on similar dates around the Labor Day weekend. The South Metro Corridor Express Lane operational schedule will beginning Friday, August 30 and be in place through Monday, September 2. No changes are expected for the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes. Schedules are subject to change due to current traffic needs.
Outside of the metro Atlanta, historical Labor Day Weekend travel data for major interstates have shown the following trends:
- I-20 eastbound congestion entering metro Atlanta; westbound congestion exiting the city towards Alabama.
- I-75 is predicted to have heavy congestion southbound and northbound coming out of Atlanta in Stockbridge.
- I-85 and I-185 congestion in West Georgia (near Alabama).
- I-24 eastbound congestion in Northwest Georgia (near Chattanooga).
- I-16 westbound congestion exiting Savannah and I-16 eastbound congestion entering Savannah.
For up-to-date information about travel conditions on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, call 511 or visit www.511ga.org before heading out. 511 is a free service that provides real-time statewide information on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, including traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures and delays due to inclement weather 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
