Just west of Atlanta, a city notorious for its often nightmarish traffic tie-ups, work began July 21 to upgrade what Georgia officials are calling one of the country's worst freight transportation bottlenecks.
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) officially began a project to improve the Interstate 285/Interstate 20 West Interchange in Fulton and Cobb counties. More lanes will be built along I-20 that will also benefit travelers in Douglas County.
The agency has said that the $1.2 billion infrastructure project represents the second-biggest investment it has ever made.
Legacy Infrastructure Contractors is the partnership responsible for the design, construction and partial financing of the project. It is made up of Marietta, Ga.'s C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., as the primary builder and Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering LLC, headquartered in West Columbia, S.C., as the lead designer.
The team will reconstruct and widen several interstate system-to-system ramps at the I-285/I-20 interchange and add a combination of collector-distributor/connecting lanes and auxiliary lanes along I-20 west and I-285 north of the junction.
GDOT explained that collector-distributor (CD) lanes run parallel to the main travel lanes of an interstate or highway, connecting them to access roads or entrance ramps in order to improve traffic flow, speed and safety.
The project's I-20 footprint stretches from Factory Shoals Road, west of the interchange, to Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, on the east side.
Proposed improvements include:
• removal of left-hand ramp entrance and exit ramps from the I-285/I-20 interchange system;
• a new geometric design and vertical grades;
• building two-lane ramps within the interchange;
• installing westbound CD lanes from I-285/I-20 West to Georgia Highway 70/Fulton Industrial Boulevard;
• adding approximately 6 mi. of new lanes along I-20 from Factory Shoals Road to Hamilton E. Holmes Drive;
• constructing roughly 2 mi. of additional lanes along I-285 from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway south to MLK Jr. Drive to accommodate the interchange upgrades; and
• modifying and/or replacing bridge structures and ramps within the interchange and along I-20, including those over the Fulton County Railway and the Chattahoochee River.
According to GDOT, the interchange ramps will be modified to shift exits from the left to the right lane, cutting down vehicle weaving. Those ramps also will be widened.
The project is a part of the Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP), the largest investment in roadway mobility improvements in the Georgia's history.
According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the I-285/I-20 interchange is ranked as the sixth most congested in the nation, and the 10th worst freight bottleneck in the U.S.
Flyover Ramp is First Component to Be Built
While site preparation activities were ongoing, GDOT and its construction partners mobilized heavy equipment and positioned two cranes within the loop ramp from I-20 eastbound to I-285 northbound to support the upcoming work on key structures.
With the construction now underway, drivers moving through the corridors can expect nightly lane closures and traffic pacing, which will likely cause delays.
Traffic pacing may happen in the late mornings, Monday through Thursday through the end of the summer on I-285 southbound starting at Bolton Road.
According to GDOT, each operation may last up to 20 minutes, and it advises motorist to expect small delays during that time and consider using navigation apps for alternate routes.
There will also be a controlled blasting within the interior of the interchange along the I-285 southbound and I-20 eastbound ramp. Law enforcement will be on-site to manage traffic, and nearby residents may hear increased noise levels due to blasting.
The state transportation agency reported that crews under the management of C.W. Matthews also have delineated construction entrances and exits from the interstate with a specific type of rock, known as "34 stone." These strategically placed stones play a crucial role in making sure that heavy construction equipment does not get stuck in the mud while maintaining road cleanliness.
As these vehicles exit the site, the texture of the 34 stone helps to dislodge and remove excess mud and dirt from their tires, preventing the debris from being tracked onto the highway and providing safer driving conditions for all motorists, GDOT noted online.
The first major structure scheduled to be built will be the flyover ramp from I-20 westbound to I-285 southbound.
In preparation for this structure, workers will build temporary and permanent tie-back retaining walls, a common type of wall system used in major highway construction projects to support deep excavations and stabilize slopes.
On the I-285/I-20 West Interchange project, tie-back walls are particularly instrumental because of the project's urban environment and tight corridors where space constraints and nearby infrastructure make traditional slope grading or gravity walls impractical.
"We're excited to officially begin heavy construction on the I-285/I-20 West Interchange project," said Donald Stull, GDOT's project manager at the highway work site. "We appreciate the public's patience as we get started constructing a more modern interchange with improved safety for the traveling public top of mind. While construction can be a temporary inconvenience, the long-term impacts will greatly enhance local and regional travel."
