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.

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.

[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.

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.