Limited Access Highways

Current Conditions

Limited-access highways within Atlanta include I-20 (SR 402), I-75 (SR 401), I-85 (SR 407), the Buford Highway Connector (old I-85), the Arthur Langford Jr. Memorial Parkway (formerly Lakewood Freeway, SR 166) and Georgia 400 (SR 400).

These limited-access facilities are under the control of the Georgia Department of Transportation. All of these facilities, except the Arthur Langford Jr. Memorial Parkway have been reconstructed in the past ten years to improve safety and to increase capacity.



Anticipated Future Conditions

In spite of recent and planned improvements to the freeway system, most of that system is forecast to be operating above capacity in the year 2010.  Use of the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities and the rapid-rail transit system will provide alternatives that will allow the system to operate at an acceptable level of service provided they are sufficiently utilized by the general public.  These actions will also be instrumental in the region's efforts to comply with Clean Air Act requirements.  Continued use of the freeway variable message signs installed as part of ATMS is anticipated.  Communication lines were constructed along I-75 and I-85 for traffic surveillance and control, incident management and the ATIS.  An aerial surveillance system was also installed and twelve HERO incident response vehicles are in operation. 


Current Policies

  1. Support essential highway improvements, which would improve safety, relieve traffic on City streets and contain provisions for neighborhood protection.
  2. Support provisions for high occupancy vehicles (HOV) in freeway design.

Programs and Projects

The Georgia DOT has implemented 60 miles of HOV express lane miles in the metropolitan area on major freeways with the intention of significantly reducing the number of single occupancy trips and /or vehicle miles of travel.

The projects include resurfacing, re-striping and signing of:

  • I-75 from I-675 to I-285 south
  • I-75 from I-285 north to E. Barrett Parkway
  • I-85 from I-285 north to SR 316
  • New interchanges at the 17th Street Bridge