Interstate 285 (I-285) is an
auxiliary Interstate Highway
Auxiliary Interstate Highways (also called three-digit Interstate Highways) are a supplemental subset of the freeways within the Interstate Highway System of the United States.
Auxiliary routes are generally classified as spur routes, which conn ...
encircling
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, for .
It connects the three major Interstate Highways to Atlanta:
I-20,
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
, and
I-85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65, I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 95, I ...
. Colloquially referred to as the Perimeter, it also carries
unsigned
Unsigned can refer to:
* An unsigned artist is a musical artist or group not attached or signed to a record label
** Unsigned Music Awards, ceremony noting achievements of unsigned artists
** Unsigned band web, online community
* Similarly, the c ...
State Route 407 (SR 407) and is signed as Atlanta Bypass on I-20, I-75, and I-85.
Because of
suburban sprawl, it is estimated that more than two million people use the highway each day, making it the one of the busiest Interstates in the
Atlanta metropolitan area, and one of the most heavily traveled roadways in the US. During
rush hour, portions of the highway slow, sometimes to a crawl.
Route description
I-285 is 8 to 12 lanes wide, with the northern part from I-75 to
SR 400 to I-85 the most heavily traveled. One segment of the highway near
Tom Moreland Interchange
Tom Moreland Interchange, colloquially known as ''Spaghetti Junction'', is the interchange of Interstate 85 (I-85) and I-285, along with several access roads, in northern DeKalb County, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta and just to the south of No ...
(a large, flyover highway interchange northeast of Atlanta colloquially called Spaghetti Junction) with
I-85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65, I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 95, I ...
widens to 18 lanes, including
collector–distributor lanes. Exits are numbered clockwise, starting at the southwesternmost point at I-85 and ending just east of there where it meets I-85 again near
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...
.
Between I-85 and
I-20 in southwest
Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat:
*Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton
*Fulton County, Georgia
*F ...
, I-285 is designated as the Bob A. Holmes Freeway (named after the
member of the Georgia House of Representative), where I-285 heads north, and has an interchange with the
Langford Parkway Langford may refer to:
Places Australia
* Langford, Western Australia
Canada
* Langford, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island
* Rural Municipality of Langford, Manitoba
England
* Langford, Bedfordshire
* Langford, Essex
* Langford, Norfolk
* ...
. Between I-20 in northwest Atlanta and I-75 near
Cumberland Mall, it is designated as the James E. 'Billy' McKinney Highway (named after the
member of the Georgia House of Representatives) as it continues north and starts to curve to the east just west of the I-75 interchange.
The northern portion of I-285, east of the Cobb Cloverleaf (I-75 interchange) to Spaghetti Junction (I-85 interchange), is frequently referred to as the Top End Perimeter. This section, which includes an interchange with SR 400 at exit 27 (frequently cited as the most dangerous intersections in Atlanta), is one of the busiest freeways in the US, handling about 250,000 cars per day and crossing through
Cobb,
Fulton
Fulton may refer to:
People
* Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship
* Fulton (surname)
Given name
* Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer
* Fult ...
, and
DeKalb DeKalb or De Kalb may refer to:
People
* Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in the American Revolutionary War
Places Municipalities in the United States
* DeKalb, Illinois, the largest city in the United States named DeKalb
**DeKal ...
counties, with several interchanges (
SR 141,
SR 13, and I-85) bringing additional traffic to and from
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton ...
. Through that stretch, the freeway expands from six or eight lanes to between 10 and 14 lanes.
While I-285 does not travel through Gwinnett County, the highway travels very close to the DeKalb–Gwinnett county line, and many major highways in Gwinnett County connect to I-285, with some prominent ones being
US Route 78 (US 78), I-85, and SR 141. Major Gwinnett cities near I-285 are
Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, and is the largest city in Gwinnett County with a population of 42,243 as of the 2020 US Census.
Peachtree Corners is the only ...
and
Norcross.
From exit 25 to exit 27, I-285 is concurrent with
US 19.
Much of Atlanta's high-end commercial
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
has developed along I-285, particularly at the northwestern I-75 and the SR 400 interchanges. Notable buildings include the 35-story
Concourse at Landmark Center
Built in phases between 1984 and 1991, the Concourse at Landmark Center is a real estate development in metro Atlanta's Perimeter Center business district, in the city of Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. It is a 70 acre planned community ...
in the
Perimeter Center business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the " city ...
and the
Cobb Galleria
Cobb Galleria is a large office park with six skyscrapers located in the Cumberland/ Vinings district of Cobb County in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its location is sandwiched between Marietta, Smyrna, Sandy Springs and the City of Atlanta ...
complex in the
Cumberland area.
East of Spaghetti Junction, I-285's direction switches from east to south, as it connects with the
Stone Mountain Freeway
Stone Mountain Freeway is a freeway in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It connects Interstate 285 (I-285) east of Atlanta, with the suburbs of Stone Mountain and Snellville before transitioning into an arterial road that co ...
at exit 39, and has an interchange with I-20 at exit 46, where I-285 starts to curve toward the southwest. At exit 52, it has an interchange with
I-675 and heads straight west after the interchange with I-75 near the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
![I-20 GA 402 bridge sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/I-20_GA_402_bridge_sign.JPG)
A portion of the section between I-75 and I-85 on the south side of I-285 has been
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
d with a new
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
and
taxiway
A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller general aviation airports sometimes use gravel ...
of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of only two Interstates in the nation (along with
I-564 in
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
) to have an underpass beneath a runway (underpasses for taxiways do occur elsewhere).
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
s were developed prior to construction to simulate a
jumbo jet
A wide-body aircraft, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft, is an airliner with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin ...
touching down on the runway from a driver's perspective. The entire highway within the
tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
s is outfitted with stopped-vehicle sensors and
fire detector Fire detectors sense one or more of the products or phenomena resulting from fire, such as smoke, heat, infrared and/or ultraviolet light radiation, or gas.
In dwellings, smoke detectors are often stand-alone devices. In non-domestic buildings, fir ...
s. Two electronic signs on either side of the tunnels can warn drivers if the tunnel is closed in an emergency. For in the southwest corner, I-85 occupies the
median of I-285, yet the roadways remain separate.
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, SR 400, and many other major Atlanta
thoroughfare
A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by
extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highwa ...
s. As with highways just outside I-285, trucks are also prohibited from the far-left one or two lanes (except where there are left exits open to trucks).
The complete circumference of I-285 is covered by
Georgia Navigator Georgia Navigator (sometimes also as Georgia NaviGAtor) is an Advanced Traffic Management System used in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and was first activated in April 1996, just befo ...
, Georgia's
intelligent transportation system (ITS). There have been 153
closed-circuit television traffic camera
A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, traffic cameras are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, expressways and arterial roads, and are connected by optical fibers buried alongside or ...
s, 26
electronic-message signs, and traffic-detection sensors installed in phases between 1999 and 2010 by the
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). Additionally,
ramp meter
A ramp meter, ramp signal, or metering light is a device, usually a basic traffic light or a two-section signal light (red and green only, no yellow) together with a signal controller, that regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways accordi ...
s are present at nearly all entrance ramps onto I-285, with the exception of the southeast section of I-285 and the major freeway-to-freeway connection ramps.
To many residents of Atlanta, the Perimeter defines a useful boundary to separate the Atlanta metropolitan area's core from its surrounding suburbs. People distinguish a location as being inside or outside the Perimeter, sometimes abbreviated as ITP and OTP, a recent local
neologism
A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
. This was also the rough boundary chosen by
BellSouth
BellSouth, LLC (stylized as ''BELLSOUTH'' and formerly known as BellSouth Corporation) was an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after ...
for separating
landline
A landline (land line, land-line, main line, home phone, fixed-line, and wireline) is a telephone connection that uses metal wires or optical fiber telephone line for transmission, as distinguished from a mobile cellular network, which uses ...
telephone exchange
A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a telecommunications system used in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It interconnects telephone subscriber lines or virtual circuits of digital syst ...
s in suburban
area code 770
Area code 770 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) serving all or part of 29 counties in North Georgia, including most of Atlanta's suburbs. It was created in 1995 in a split of numbering plan area (NPA) 404.
H ...
from the existing
area code 404 in 1995. Generally, 404 is Atlanta itself and most suburbs inside the Perimeter, while 770 serves most of the suburbs outside the Perimeter.
The entire length of I-285 is part of the
National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.
History
Early history
![Atlanta, Georgia 1955 Yellow Book](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Atlanta%2C_Georgia_1955_Yellow_Book.jpg)
The route that became I-285 was first proposed by the Metropolitan Plan Commission, the predecessor agency to the
Atlanta Regional Commission The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the metro Atlanta, Georgia, USA region, defined as the 11-county area of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, F ...
, in 1952, and added to the proposal that became the Interstate Highway System in 1955. At the time, much of the area through which the freeway now passes was still rural, but beginning to suburbanize, and the Interstate was initially intended to serve as a bypass of the city.
The first contract for I-285, a section in DeKalb County that included part of the then-
cloverleaf interchange with I-85, was awarded in June 1958.
[ The stretch between I-20 and East Ponce De Leon Avenue on the east side opened on August 24, 1968.] The section between I-20 on the east side and US 23 opened in early September 1968. The last stretch of the route opened on October 15, 1969, in a ceremony officiated by then-Governor Lester Maddox
Lester Garfield Maddox Sr. (September 30, 1915 – June 25, 2003) was an American politician who served as the 75th governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. A populist Democrat, Maddox came to prominence as a staunch segregatio ...
. Construction of the Interstate cost $90 million (equivalent to $ in ), and the entire route was initially two lanes in each direction for its entire length.
I-285 was widened to eight lanes in multiple phases as part of the Freeing the Freeways program at a cost of $355 million (equivalent to $ in ).[ The first stretch to be widened was the Top End section between Paces Ferry Road directly west of the interchange with I-75 and Chamblee Tucker Road, which began in July 1976 and was completed in August 1978.][ The section on the south end between US 19/41 and the eastern I-20 interchange was widened between June 1978 and November 1979.][ The section between the eastern I-20 interchange and Chamblee Tucker road was widened between August 1980 and December 1982.][ Work on widening the stretch on the west side between I-85 and Paces Ferry Road began in September 1981 and was completed in August 1983.][ The final widening project was completed in 1989 with the completion of the reconstruction of the concurrent section with I-85.][
The Top End section between I-75 and I-85 was expanded to 10 lanes in the mid-1990s by narrowing the lanes by and narrowing parts of the shoulders.
]
Interchange modification projects
Since its construction, most of the system-to-system interchanges on I-285 have been modified from their original configurations. Most of these were rebuilt or expanded during the Freeing the Freeways program.[
The cloverleaf interchange with I-85 in DeKalb County, which had earned the nickname "Malfunction Junction", was reconstructed into the present ]Tom Moreland Interchange
Tom Moreland Interchange, colloquially known as ''Spaghetti Junction'', is the interchange of Interstate 85 (I-85) and I-285, along with several access roads, in northern DeKalb County, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta and just to the south of No ...
configuration, commonly known as "Spaghetti Junction", between January 10, 1983, and July 9, 1987.
The Emory Parrish Interchange, commonly known as the Cobb Cloverleaf, has been modified on multiple occasions. The first project, which took place in the late 1970s, constructed new mainline carriageways for I-285 traffic through the interchange, eliminating lefthand exits, and repurposed the original lanes into adjacent collector–distributor ramps. The next project, which took place in the mid-1980s, constructed a new flyover ramp between I-75 southbound and I-285 eastbound, and modified the connections between the interchange and the I-75 interchange to the north with Windy Hill Road with the addition of several new collector–distributor lanes and slip ramps to eliminate weaving. The original loop ramp that the flyover replaced, however, was left in place and remains in operation in the present day. The next modification occurred between 1996 and 1999 with the construction of the Cumberland Boulevard interchange on I-75 to the south. As part of this project, new collector–distributor ramps were constructed along I-75 between the Cobb Cloverleaf and the new interchange. In addition, the grading for a new flyover ramp from I-75 north to I-285 west to replace the existing loop ramp was constructed; however, no such ramp was ever constructed. The most recent modification, which took place between 2014 and 2018, added new access points to I-285 within the interchange for the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes
The Northwest Corridor Express Lanes (formerly Northwest Corridor HOV/BRT) and locally known as the Tollercoaster, is a completed Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) project which has put Peach Pass-only toll lanes along Interstate  ...
.
The approximately stretch of I-285 that runs concurrent with I-85 was heavily modified in multiple projects between the early and late 1980s that included the construction of separate adjacent carriageways for I-85 and I-285 in an effort to eliminate weaving and the addition of several collector–distributor ramps serving other roads.
Recent history
Until 2000, the state of Georgia used the sequential interchange numbering system on all of its Interstate Highways. The first exit on each highway began with the number "1" and increase numerically with each exit. In 2000, GDOT switched to a mileage-based exit system, in which the exit number corresponded to the nearest milepost.
GDOT voted in September 2012 to raise the speed limit
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expre ...
from on the entire freeway and, by 2013, to install electronic signs for variable speed limits north of I-20, to lower the speed limit when traffic or weather conditions warrant. This is intended to keep traffic moving at a reduced but steady speed, rather than suddenly braking
A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction.
Backgroun ...
drivers causing traffic to "clot
A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of cr ...
" simply because other drivers are also braking (which causes unnecessary stop-and-go traffic).
In 2013, there were 26 fatal accidents on I-285, giving it the highest rate of such accidents per of any Interstate in the country.
Future
Since the 1970s, GDOT has planned an outer loop, which would be a roughly circumferential loop around the Atlanta metropolitan area. Under Governor Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...
, the plans were dropped from the Regional Transportation Plan, in favor of the expansion of the rural state road network outside of Atlanta. The state will instead widen portions of SR 20 in north the Atlanta metropolitan area, along a similar alignment to the Northern Arc.
GDOT broke ground in November 2017 on major improvements to the I-285/ SR 400 interchange. The project includes collector–distributor roads along I-285 and SR 400, the addition of a diverging diamond interchange
A diverging diamond interchange (DDI), also called a double crossover diamond interchange (DCD), is a subset of diamond interchange in which the opposing directions of travel on the non-freeway road cross each other on either side of the inte ...
at SR 400 and Abernathy Road, and new flyover ramps. The project has total costs of $800 million and construction is expected to be complete in late 2020.
In January 2016, Governor Nathan Deal
John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in 1992 a ...
announced the major mobility investment program (MMIP), a collection of megaprojects planned around the state. The program includes the addition of express lanes on I-285 from I-20 (exit 10) across the north end of Atlanta to I-20 (exit 46). The program also includes reconstructing the interchanges with I-20.
The MMIP will construct two express lanes in each direction between Paces Ferry Road (mile 19) and Henderson Road (mile 35). This segment includes the addition of express lanes through major interchanges with I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
, SR 400, and I-85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65, I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 95, I ...
. Other projects will construct one express lane in each direction between I-20 (exit 10) and Paces Ferry Road, and from Henderson Road to I-20 (exit 46). The completion of all express lanes is planned in 2032.
On July 31, 2012, metro-area voters rejected the T- special-purpose local-option sales tax comprehensive transportation plan that was to be funded by an additional one-percent sales tax over a 10-year period. Among the projects included in the plan was a new exit on I-285 at Greenbriar Parkway on the southwest side of Atlanta (between present exits 2 and 5), as well as major reconstruction of interchanges at exits 27 ( US 19/SR 400), 10 (I-20 west of Atlanta), and 33 (I-85 northeast of Atlanta).
Exit list
The following exits are listed clockwise from the southwest: going south to north, west to east, north to south, and east to west. An exception is that heading counterclockwise, exit 33 comes before exit 34.
In popular culture
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
pitcher Pascual Pérez became widely associated with I-285 after he got lost on it while trying to drive to a game. On August 19, 1982, Pérez, who had just received his first US driver's license, decided to drive himself to Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, often referred to as Fulton County Stadium and originally named Atlanta Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in the southeastern United States, located in Atlanta. The stadium was home of the Atlanta Braves of th ...
(where the Braves played their home games at the time), where he was scheduled to start that evening's game against the Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
. He was unable to find the proper exit and circled the city several times before running out of gas and calling for help. When Pérez failed to arrive at the stadium by game time, the Braves called upon veteran pitcher Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro ( ; April 1, 1939 – December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves. Niekro's 318 career victor ...
to make the emergency start. The Braves, who had been mired in a 2–19 slump, won the game, kicking off a 13–2 winning streak that carried the team to the National League West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
division title. The team subsequently made for Pérez a warmup jacket with the notation "I-285" in place of his uniform number. The humor of the incident was credited for helping to improve the morale of the team and breaking the losing streak.
See also
*
*
References
External links
Interstate 285 (history and facts)
Revive 285 top end (corridor project)
{{3di, 85
85-2
85-2
Roads in Atlanta
285
2
College Park, Georgia
Doraville, Georgia
Dunwoody, Georgia
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Transportation in Fulton County, Georgia
Transportation in Cobb County, Georgia
Transportation in DeKalb County, Georgia
Transportation in Clayton County, Georgia
1963 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)