Motorists to Get Holiday Reprieve on I-85 Work

Construction of the new Express Lane System along Interstate 85 continues, but not over the July Fourth holiday weekend. As weather permits, lane closures are scheduled to occur during the day and overnight this week on I-85 in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties while overhead signs for the Express Lane System are being installed.

However, statewide lane closures for construction will end Friday, July 1, at 5 a.m. and can not resume until Tuesday, July 5, at 5 a.m. Lane closures due to emergency maintenance or crashes could occur.

Daytime work hours northbound are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and southbound work hours at from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., between peak commute hours. This is the only daytime work scheduled for this week.

• Tuesday, June 28 - Work will occur on I-85 north only closing the left lane or HOV lane from the Old Norcross Road overpass to the Boggs Road Overpass.
• Wednesday, June 29 - Work will occur on I-85 north and south closing the left lane or HOV lane from Sugarloaf Parkway to Old Peachtree Road.

The work plan requires nightly lane closures northbound and southbound.  Both directions of the High Occupancy Vehicle lane or inside lane will close overnight at these locations if weather permits. Northbound lane closures will begin at 10 p.m. and continue overnight to 5 a.m. the next day. Southbound lane closures will begin at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.  Up to three lanes will be closed nightly, but these triple lane closures will only occur after midnight. Traffic will be paced one to three times as needed for that night’s work between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. for the installation of new signs.

• Monday, June 27 - Work will occur on SR 316 west only, closing the right lane from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. for the installation of new signs. A second work zone on I-85 south only from Sugarloaf Parkway to Old Peachtree will close the left or HOV lane.
• Tuesday, June 28 - Work is planned along SR 316 west only, closing the right lane only for the installation of new signage from Sugarloaf Parkway to I-85. A second work zone on I-85 south only from Sugarloaf Parkway to Old Peachtree will close the left or HOV lane.
• Wednesday, June 29 - Work is planned along the median wall for the installation of new signage on I-85 north only from Pleasant Hill Road to the Boggs Road overpass. A second work zone on I-85 south only will close the HOV lane of I-85 south only from SR 120/Duluth Highway to Old Peachtree Road.

The existing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on Interstate 85 will continue in operation allowing vehicles with two or more people, motorcycles and alternate fuel vehicles to use the lanes until the Express Lane System is opened. Visit www.georgiatolls.com for additional information.

The I-85 Express Lanes Project includes installation of 16 miles of fiber and signage along Interstate Highway 85 between Chamblee Tucker Road and Old Peachtree Road and along State Route 316 between I-85 and Riverside Parkway.

When completed, registered transit buses, motorcycles, alternative fueled vehicles and vehicles with three or more passengers will be allowed to use the inside (left) HOT lane for free, while single- and double-occupant vehicles will be allowed to use the lane if they choose to pay a variably priced toll. 

Motorists can access real-time, statewide, route-specific information on accidents, road work, traffic and weather conditions through Georgia 511 at  www.511ga.org.