Alternate Routes to Get You Around I-85 Bridge Collapse

Atlanta Mayor Reed: Traffic after I-85 collapse will be worse Monday One week after a massive fire caused part of I-85 to collapse and shut down the interstate and some alternate routes, a portion of one of those routes reopened Thursday, April 6, 2017. Drivers can now use a left lane of the Buford-Spring Connector leaving I-85 southbound, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. But they can’t access the roadway from Sidney Marcus Boulevard, which is bad news for Ga. 400 drivers, the Traffic Center reported. Traffic on the Buford-Spring Connector northbound started building fast Thursday between Midtown and Sidney Marcus Boulevard, according to the Traffic Center. The good news is I-85 is expected to reopen by June 15, the Georgia Department of Transportation said Tuesday at a news conference. GDOT is using contracting incentives as part of a plan to expedite reconstruction of the interstate. JOHN SPINK /JSPINK@AJC.COM AJC File Photo (John Spink)

This week, Atlanta commuters are having to adjust to life without a stretch of I-85. On the evening of March 30th, I-85 northbound collapsed just north of Piedmont Rd. after a spectacular fire. The effects will be felt for months, as I-85 north and southbound remain closed between the Buford Spring Connector and Ga-400. Crews are working around-the-clock to have I-85 rebuilt by the end of May. Triple Team Traffic is keeping up with roads/interchanges that are currently OPEN around the construction: 

[TRAFFIC:  Real-time traffic information to help you get around the collapse ]

  • I-75/sb ramp to I-85/nb (Brookwood), but I-85/nb must exit Buford Spring
  • I-75/85/nb ramp to I-85/nb (Brookwood split), but again, I-85/nb must exit Buford Spring
  • I-85/sb ramp to Buford Spring/sb (exit 86), one lane open for local traffic only. Sidney Marcus Blvd. access to Buford Spring/sb will remain closed.
  • Buford Spring/nb is open from Midtown.
  • Ga-400/sb ramps to Sidney Marcus Blvd. and to I-85/nb.
  • Piedmont Road is open in both directions except for one northbound lane.

[PHOTOS: Massive fire causes I-85 bridge to collapse]

Expect many surface streets around the area to be highly congested. A few alternates through the Brookhaven and N. Druid Hills areas are Peachtree Road, Briarcliff Road, LaVista Road, & N. Druid Hills Road. Highway 78 is also a good alternate to I-85.

If you prefer to stick with interstates, take I-85/sb from Gwinnett County to I-285 south or east at Spaghetti Junction. Stay with that, and use I-20/wb into Downtown Atlanta. I-285 westbound (the Outer Loop) is good across to north side to get to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.

Triple Team Traffic will deliver alternate routes all day long, live on WSB Radio, as traffic conditions change. Please tune to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB.