Interstate 285
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the planned I-285 in North Carolina, see Interstate 285 (North Carolina).
 |
|||||||||
| Interstate 285 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System |
|||||||||
| The Perimeter | |||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| Length: | 63.98 mi[1] (102.97 km) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beltway around Atlanta, GA | |||||||||
| Major junctions: |
 I-20 -  I-75 -  SR 400 I-85 - I-20 - I-75 I-85 |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
Interstate 285 (abbreviated I-285) is a beltway interstate highway encircling Atlanta, Georgia, for 63.98 miles (102.97 km).[1] I-285 is also known as unsigned State Route 407 and is colloquially referred to as the Perimeter. It is very heavily traveled, and portions of the highway frequently slow to a crawl during rush hour. It is also signed as Atlanta Bypass.
I-285 intersects with Interstate 85 in the northeast (Tom Moreland Interchange/"Spaghetti Junction") and southwest, Interstate 75 in the northwest ("Cobb Cloverleaf") and southeast, Interstate 20 (Tom Murphy Freeway/Ralph David Abernathy Freeway/Purple Heart Highway) in the east and west, and Georgia 400 (Turner McDonald Parkway/T. Harvey Mathis Parkway) in the north. It also meets one end each of Interstate 675, Langford Parkway ("Lakewood Freeway"), and the Stone Mountain Freeway. For 1.21 miles (1.95 km) in the southwest corner, I-85 occupies the median of I-285, yet the roadways remain separate.[1] Exits are numbered clockwise, starting at the southwestern-most point at I-85, and ending just east of there where it meets I-85 again.
Between I-85 and I-20 in southwest Fulton County, I-285 is designated as the "Bob A. Holmes Freeway". It is also designated as "James E. 'Billy' McKinney Highway" between I-20 in northwest Atlanta and I-75 near Cumberland Mall.
The highway was officially opened in 1969. At that time, I-285 had only four lanes (two each way). Today, it is eight to 12 lanes wide, with the northern part from I-75 to S.R. 400 to I-85 being by far the most heavily traveled.
To many residents of Atlanta, the Perimeter defines a useful boundary to separate metro Atlanta from its surrounding communities. Many people will distinguish a location as being inside or outside the Perimeter, sometimes abbreviated as ITP and OTP.
About half of the total mileage of I-285 is covered by Georgia NaviGAtor, Georgia's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Sixty-two CCTV cameras, nine electronic message signs and full traffic detection sensors are installed between I-75 in Cobb County and I-20 in Dekalb County. Additional ITS coverage is currently under construction on the west and southeast sides of the loop, with completion expected in Spring 2007.
Because the Perimeter was built so near the city, a second Outer Perimeter was proposed, to exist outside even most of the exurbs. Due to local opposition, most of the idea has been shelved indefinitely; however the Northern Arc section continues to come up, particularly under former governor of Georgia, Roy Barnes.
A portion of the section between I-75 and I-85 on the south side of I-285 has been bridged with a new runway and taxiway for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Computer animations were developed prior to construction to simulate a jumbo jet touching down on the runway from a driver's perspective. The entire highway within the tunnels is outfitted with stopped-vehicle sensors and fire detectors. Two electronic signs on either side of the tunnels can warn drivers if the tunnel is closed.
Contents |
[edit] Notes
- Heavy trucks traveling through (but not into) Atlanta are required to bypass the city on I-285, as there is a well-signed and heavily enforced ban on through truck traffic along I-75, I-85, I-20, Georgia 400, and many other major Atlanta thoroughfares.
- The northern portion of I-285, east of the "Cobb Cloverleaf" (I-75 Junction) to "Spaghetti Junction" (I-85 Junction), is frequently referred to as the "Top End" in traffic reports, especially by Captain Herb Emory (ABC affiliate WSB-TV and WSB-AM) and Jason Durden on WSB-FM.
- The stretch of I-285 between I-75 and I-85 on the north end is one of the busiest freeways in the United States, handling about 250,000 cars per day and crossing through three counties. Through that stretch, the freeway balloons from 3 lanes to anywhere between 5 and 7 lanes.
- Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Pascual Pérez missed a 1982 Braves game where he was supposed to be the starting pitcher, by circling I-285 twice. Thereafter, his nickname was I-285. The Braves won the game.
- I-285 cost $90 Million to complete in 1969. The reconstruction, particularly on the Top End and the Spaghetti Junction reconfiguration, has cost about $355 Million.
- Much of Atlanta's high-end commercial real estate has popped up along I-285, particularly at the northwestern I-75 junction and the Georgia 400 junction. Notable buildings include the 35-story the King and Queen towers in the Perimeter business district and the Cobb Galleria complex in Cumberland.
- The I-285 and Georgia 400 interchange is frequently cited as the most dangerous intersection in Atlanta, and is slated to be reconfigured with collector/distributor lanes along Georgia 400 and a complete full stack interchange that will make it the largest freeway interchange east of Los Angeles.[citation needed] The new interchange is expected to be able to handle around 300,000 cars per day.[citation needed] Feasibility studies have been completed, and it is in Atlanta's 2025 Regional Transportation Plan.
- Signage outside of I-285 along I-75 and I-85 refers to I-285 as the "Atlanta Bypass." However, locals know that it is actually one of Atlanta's main streets. Since the 1970s, the Georgia Department of Transportation has planned an outer loop, which would be a roughly 230 mile (370 km) circumferential loop around Metropolitan Atlanta. Under current Governor Sonny Perdue, the plans were dropped from the Regional Transportation Plan, in favor of the expansion of the rural state road network outside of Atlanta. As a sidenote, the state still retains ownership of most of the land that would be needed to complete at least the northern section of the Outer Loop, known as the Northern Arc.
[edit] Exit list
The following exits are listed clockwise: south to north, west to east, north to south and east to west. In 2000, Georgia replaced the old, serial exit numbers with mile-log numbers.
| County | # | Old # |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | 1 | 2 | Washington Road - East Point | To US 29 |
| 2 | 3 |  SR 6 (Camp Creek Parkway) - East Point, College Park, ATL Airport |
||
| 5A | 4A |       SR 166 North, SR 154 East (Arthur B. Langford Jr. Parkway) - Downtown Atlanta, Ben Hill |
Formerly Lakewood Freeway; alignment of unbuilt Interstate 420 | |
| 5B | 4B |   SR 166 South, SR 154 West (Campbellton Road) - Carrollton |
||
| 7 | 5 | Cascade Road - Cascade Heights | Former alignment of SR 154 | |
| 9 | 6 |  SR 139 (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) - Adamsville |
||
| 10A | 7A |  Interstate 20 East (Ralph D. Abernathy Freeway) - Atlanta, Augusta |
Left exit southbound; unsigned  SR 402 |
|
| 10B | 7B |  Interstate 20 West (Tom Murphy Freeway) - Birmingham (AL) |
Left exit northbound; unsigned SR 402 |
|
| 12 | 8 |    US 78, US 278, SR 8 (Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway) - Bankhead, Mableton |
Formerly Bankhead Highway | |
| 13 | 9 | Bolton Road - Bankhead | Northbound only; former northernmost alignment of SR 70 | |
| Cobb | 15 | 10 |  SR 280 (South Cobb Drive) - Smyrna |
Betty Porter Field Memorial Bridge |
| 16 | 11 | South Atlanta Road - Smyrna | Former alignment of SR 3 | |
| 18 | 12 | Paces Ferry Road - Vinings | ||
| 19 | 13 |   US 41, SR 3 (Cobb Parkway) - Smyrna |
Northbound exit and southbound entrance - westbound access to Cobb Parkway is via Exit 20, and eastbound entry is via the Cobb Cloverleaf | |
| 20 | 14 | Interstate 75 (Larry McDonald Memorial Highway) - Marietta, Chattanooga (TN), Atlanta |
Cobb Cloverleaf; unsigned  SR 401 |
|
| Fulton | 22 | 15 | Northside Drive, New Northside Drive, Powers Ferry Road - Sandy Springs | |
| 24 | 16 | Riverside Drive - Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs | ||
| 25 | 17 |   US 19 South, SR 9 (Roswell Road) - Sandy Springs |
US 19 joins eastbound and leaves westbound | |
| 26 | 18 | Glenridge Drive, Glenridge Connector - Sandy Springs | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only; former SR 407 Loop | |
| 27 | 19 | SR 400 ("Georgia 400"), US 19 North (Turner McDonald Parkway) - Cumming, Dahlonega, Atlanta |
US 19 joins westbound and leaves eastbound | |
| DeKalb | 28 | 20 | Peachtree-Dunwoody Road - Dunwoody | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 29 | 21 | Ashford-Dunwoody Road - Dunwoody | ||
| 30 | 22 | Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, North Shallowford Road, Peachtree Road - Dunwoody | ||
| 31A | 23A |  SR 141 South (Peachtree Industrial Boulevard) - Doraville |
||
| 31B | 23B | SR 141 North (Peachtree Industrial Boulevard) - Chamblee, Norcross |
||
| 32 | 25 |   US 23, SR 13 (Buford Highway) - Doraville, Chamblee |
||
| 33A | 26A |  Interstate 85 South (Northeast Expressway) - Downtown Atlanta; Chamblee-Tucker Road - Tucker |
Spaghetti Junction; eastbound exit only, see exit 33 (below) for northbound exit; unsigned  SR 403 |
|
| 33B | 26B |  Interstate 85 North (Veterans Parkway) - Greenville (SC) |
||
| 34 | 27 | Chamblee-Tucker Road - Tucker | Northbound exit only - eastbound exit is via Exit 33A | |
| 33 | 26 | Interstate 85 (Northeast Expressway / Veterans Parkway) - Downtown Atlanta, Greenville (SC) |
Spaghetti Junction; northbound exit only - because of ramp configuration for Exit 34, this ramp is located between the ramps for exits 36 and 34; unsigned SR 403 |
|
| 36 | 27A | Northlake Parkway - Tucker | Southbound exit and northbound entrance only | |
| 37 | 28 |  SR 236 (LaVista Road) - Tucker |
Northlake Mall | |
| 38 | 29 |  US 29, SR 8 (Lawrenceville Highway) - Tucker, Decatur |
||
| 39A | 30A |  US 78, SR 410 West (Stone Mountain Freeway) - Decatur, Atlanta |
The southbound entrance from westbound US 78 and the northbound entrance from eastbound US 78 are left merges; alignment of unbuilt Interstate 485 into downtown Atlanta | |
| 39B | 30B | US 78, SR 410 East (Stone Mountain Freeway) - Snellville, Athens |
||
| 40 | 31 | East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Church Street - Clarkston, Scottdale, Decatur | Split diamond, since the two streets are parallel and separated by railroad tracks: southbound exit and northbound entrance on Ponce, northbound exit and southbound entrance on Church | |
| 41 | 32 |  SR 10 (Memorial Drive / Cynthia McKinney Parkway) - Decatur, Avondale Estates, Stone Mountain |
To
|
|
| 42 | 32A | Indian Creek MARTA Station | Northbound exit and southbound entrance only; access only to MARTA parking | |
| 43 | 33 |  US 278, SR 12 (Covington Highway) - Decatur, Lithonia |
||
| 44 | 34 | Glenwood Road - Decatur | Former alignment of SR 260 until late 2005 | |
| 46 | 35 | Interstate 20 (Ralph D. Abernathy Freeway / Purple Heart Highway) - Atlanta, Birmingham, Augusta |
Pierre Howard Interchange; northbound split into 46A (west) and 46B (east); unsigned SR 402 |
|
| 48 | 36 |  SR 155 (Flat Shoals Road Candler Road) - Decatur |
||
| 51 | 37 | Bouldercrest Road | ||
| 52 | 38 |  Interstate 675 (Terrell Starr Parkway) - Macon |
Unsigned  SR 413; southern portion of unbuilt Interstate 475, which would have connected with the unbuilt center-city portion of what is now Georgia 400 |
|
| 53 | 39 |  US 23, SR 42 (Moreland Avenue) |
||
| Fulton | 55 | 40 |  SR 54 (Jonesboro Road) - Forest Park, Southeast Atlanta |
|
| Clayton | 58 | 41 | Interstate 75 (Southeast Expressway) - Atlanta, Macon, Tampa (FL), Forest Park, Riverdale |
Unsigned SR 401 |
| 59 | 42 | Clark Howell Highway, Loop Road - College Park | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only - westbound exit via Exit 58 | |
| 60 | 43 | SR 139 (Riverdale Road) - College Park, Riverdale |
||
| Clayton/ Fulton |
61 | 44 | Interstate 85 (Southwest Expressway) - Columbus, Montgomery (AL), Atlanta Airport, Atlanta |
Designated as James D. "Jim" McGee Memorial Highway from Flat Shoals Road to Senoia Road (SR 74) in South Fulton County; unsigned SR 403 |
| 62 | 1 |    SR 279 North, SR 14 Spur West (Old National Highway / South Fulton Parkway), - College Park, Fayetteville, Red Oak |
The original Exit 24 went to Tilly Mill Road and Flowers Road. When I-285 was reconfigured in the 1990s, the exit was removed.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Interstate 285 (history and facts)
- Traffic images of I-285 from Georgia Navigator (all images near real-time):
- Revive 285 top end (corridor project)
- Georgia DOT Interstate Mileage Report (PDF)
 |
Auxiliary routes of Interstate 85 | |
| Current and Future (F) | Former | |
 |
Georgia - South Carolina | |
 |
Georgia - North Carolina (F) | |
 |
South Carolina | |
 |
North Carolina | Georgia |
 |
South Carolina | |
 |
North Carolina-Virginia (F) | |
 |
Georgia | |
