Georgia DOT Announces Lane Closure Suspension for July 4th Holiday Weekend

The Georgia Department of Transportation is suspending lane closures on Georgia interstates and state routes for the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend.

The suspension will begin at noon on July 3 and continue until 10 p.m. on July 7. During this period, construction-related lane closures will be on hold to facilitate smoother travel. However, Georgia DOT urges travelers to remain cautious, as crews may still be working near highways and some long-term lane closures may still be in place due to safety considerations. Lane closures for incident management or emergency maintenance may also occur at any time on any route.

To avoid delays, motorists are encouraged to plan their trips in advance, especially in areas expected to experience heavy traffic, such as metro Atlanta interstates and major interstates outside the city.

Metro Atlanta interstates

Historical travel patterns predict typical traffic flow on metro Atlanta interstates leading into the holiday weekend from July 1-3 with moderate congestion expected from 3 to 7 p.m. each day. Light to normal traffic is anticipated on the July 4th holiday.

Post-holiday heavy traffic is expected on July 5-7 particularly between noon and 8 p.m. Moderate post-holiday congestion is anticipated on July 6 during the afternoon.

Metro Atlanta surface streets

Motorists traveling on metro Atlanta surface streets should anticipate heavier-than-usual traffic from midday to evening July 2-3. However, July 4-5 are predicted to have normal to lighter-than-normal traffic flows.

The specific surface streets where increased congestion is expected include: SR 3 N/Cobb Parkway, SR 141 N/Peachtree Road, SR 140 NE/Jimmy Carter Boulevard, SR 3 West Central/Northside Drive, SR 8 East Central/Ponce De Leon Avenue, SR 42 E/Moreland Avenue, SR 154 SE/Memorial Drive and SR 35 S/U.S. Hwy. 19.

Major interstates outside of metro Atlanta

Historical July 4th weekend travel data from the previous holiday weekend for major interstates outside of metro Atlanta have shown the following trends:

I-20 is expected to have heavy congestion eastbound entering metro Atlanta; light travel westbound exiting the city towards Alabama; and moderate congestion eastbound entering South Carolina.I-75 is predicted to have heavy congestion southbound and northbound coming out of Atlanta in Stockbridge.I-24 eastbound heavy congestion in Northwest Georgia near Chattanooga.I-16 westbound heavy congestion exiting Savannah and I-16 eastbound heavy congestion entering Savannah.I-95 northbound and southbound is expected to see light travel in Savannah.

For up-to-date information about travel conditions, call 511 or visit www.511ga.org .