Georgia: I-285-I-20 Interstate East Reconstruction

Georgia’s “Deadliest Interchange” Gets Major Safety Overhaul   

Challenge: It has been dubbed the “deadliest interchange in Georgia” by the news media. To the east of metro Atlanta where I-285 and I-20 converge in Dekalb County approaching drivers of cars and big rigs think they can accelerate, when in fact a hidden curve forces them to decelerate quickly. In a 2015 interview with Atlanta’s Channel 2 News, Lt. Gregory Vanderpool, with DeKalb County Police said, “The driver doesn’t see and [doesn’t] realize the danger until it’s far too late.” According to reports, between 2016 until 2021, there were over 3,000 accidents at the interchange and 110 fatalities.  

Solution:  The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) under its Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) utilizing a Design-Build-Finance delivery model is addressing the safety issue by undertaking a massive overhaul of the interchange known as the I-285/I-20 East Interchange Project. The I-285/I-20 East Interchange Project is one of 11 initial MMIP projects identified in 2016 advancing across the state to yield a significant reduction in congestion and operational challenges along key freight and passenger corridors. The Georgia DOT project was made possible by the Georgia General Assembly’s passage of the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 and funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).  

The Developer team is implementing numerous, focused operational and safety improvements at this location selected by Georgia DOT including constructing two (2) flyover bridges, three (3) new ramps, widening ramps from one (1) to two (2) lanes, and constructing auxiliary lanes and collector-distributor lane extensions. For residents and businesses of Dekalb, the traveling public, as well as truckers who frequent this interchange delivering goods to people, a much safer and more reliable trip is just ahead.  

What they’re saying: “This is going to be a major step forward in increasing safety, but also increasing mobility and convenience for the tens of thousands of people who travel on this very busy interchange. It’s the most important highway construction project in literally, the history of our county.” – DeKalb County CEO, Michael Thurmond (WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, 05/18/2022)   

Photo Credit: Georgia Department of Transportation