Over 100 miles of express lanes to be added to metro Atlanta interstate highways in next decade

Metro Atlanta will add over 100 miles of new toll lanes over the next decade.

The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) is overseeing the new express lanes.

With traffic back close to pre-pandemic levels, it’s only expected to get worse.

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“So we have more population growth than we expected,” SRTA Executive Director Jannine Miller said.

Miller told Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach that the mission of all the agencies she now leads, SRTA, GRTA, and ATL Transit Link, is to improve transportation on Georgia’s roads.

The future for commuters in metro Atlanta includes the addition of more express lanes, to give drivers a more reliable and predictable trip when they need it.

“That sigh of relief is something that I think has enabled folks to get their minds around it, that it’s a great option to have,” Miller said.

The biggest project will be to expand Georgia 400, adding express lanes on a 16-mile stretch through north Fulton County into south Forsyth County.

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Two lanes in each direction will be open at all hours and connect to four new MARTA stations, linking rail and bus transit.

“We are working hand and glove with MARTA on the structure and the stations that will be built up above it. And making sure those lanes are going to be reliable for those express lane transit vehicles that they’ll roll along just as smoothly as if there were no traffic in front of them,” Miller said.

They estimate their current 15 million toll trips a year using Peach Pass will jump 50% in just the first year the 400 lanes open.

Then, the plan is to create two new express lanes in each direction on Interstate 285, running all the way from Interstate 20 on one side of the perimeter, across the top end to the other.

Ultimately, around 130 miles of new toll lanes will be added throughout the region.

“That’s going to be three times the amount of express lanes that we have today,” Miller said. “So over the course of the next decade, 10-12 years, we think we’ll be in great shape to open those up and have an option for generations to come.”

Tune in to Channel 2 Action News on Wednesday to see Gehlbach’s conversation with SRTA Executive Director Jannine Miller.

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