Major highways reopen as VP Harris lands in Atlanta for campaign rally

[UPDATE, 4:15 p.m.]: Lane closures have been lifted on I-285 and several other major interstates south of Atlanta after Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade quickly traveled from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to the site of her Thursday evening campaign rally.

Harris is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. at the James R. Hallford Stadium in Clarkston. Traffic has eased on the Perimeter’s outer loop after all travel lanes were briefly shut down for the vice president, but motorists should avoid the area around the stadium. Security and traffic for the campaign rally have created traffic jams on Memorial Drive, Memorial College Avenue and North Indian Creek Drive.

[ORIGINAL STORY]: Vice President Kamala Harris will visit metro Atlanta on Thursday for a campaign event in DeKalb County that is expected to impact traffic south of the city during the evening commute.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is returning to Georgia after spending most of the past weekend in the metro area for multiple campaign rallies. Her visit comes immediately after her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, spent most of Wednesday in the state, participating in a town hall in Zebulon followed by a rally in Gwinnett County.

Trump holds a slight edge among Georgia voters, according to a recent poll conducted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Thursday’s rally for the Harris campaign will take place at the 15,000-seat James R. Hallford Stadium on Memorial College Avenue in Clarkston. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m., according to Harris’ campaign website, likely leading to a sharp increase in traffic in the area. Appearances by several celebrities and dignitaries are planned, including Tyler Perry, former president Barack Obama and a performance by Bruce Springsteen. The Harris campaign expects the crowd to reach capacity before 6 p.m.

According to the vice president’s official itinerary, Harris is expected to arrive at 3:35 p.m. at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where she will meet with members of the media. She is scheduled to speak at the rally at 7 p.m. before heading back to the Atlanta airport and departing just before 9 p.m.

The finer details of Harris’ travel plans are not public, but the most direct route from the Atlanta airport to Hallford Stadium would follow the I-285 outer loop. Commuters should expect to see I-285 West temporarily shut down near the airport after 3:30 p.m. In that scenario, all on-ramps would also be shut down for the motorcade to pass, including those from I-75, I-675 and I-20.

Traffic may ease before Harris leaves the rally, but Atlanta commuters should still plan for the I-285 inner loop to be closed temporarily between 8-9 p.m. for the drive back to the airport.

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