GDOT: Plan Ahead for Holiday Travel

ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Transportation expects rush hour to begin early Thursday afternoon, as motorists prepare for July 4 vacations and festivities.

Friday traffic is expected to be lighter than usual because most federal and state agencies, including Georgia DOT, will be closed. Saturday traffic will likely be more congested than normal as motorists travel to holiday events.

Although the Fourth of July holiday is overall a lighter travel weekend compared to Memorial Day or Thanksgiving, traffic congestion on Thursday could begin as early as 1 p.m. in high-volume areas, said Georgia DOT Commissioner Vance Smith, Jr.

In metro Atlanta, those areas include, but are not limited to the following areas:
• I-75/85 southbound (Downtown Connector)
• I-285 on the top end
• SR 400 in both directions
• I-85 in Gwinnett County
• I-75 in Cobb County
• I-75 Southbound in Clayton and Henry counties

As a reminder, Georgia DOT will suspend construction-related lane closures on all interstates and major state routes from 12 noon Thursday, July 2 until 5 a.m., Monday, July 6.

Permanent lane closure may also be in place on I-85 in Meriwether and Coweta counties, I-75 in South Georgia and I-95 on the coast. Also, incident management or emergency maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary on any route.