GDOT plans another weekend closure of I-285 for major reconstruction work

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans another closure of Interstate 285 in June for another round of construction.

The agency plans to close the roadway starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and running until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 8, as long as weather allows for construction.

The closure will be for the same stretch of road that was closed earlier this month: between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Cascade Road in Fulton County.

Kysii Ingram, owner of Cafe Bartique, said the closure severely impacted his business on Cascade Road.

“We felt a reduction of business because there was so much traffic due to the shutdown on Cascade and MLK,” he said.

Usually, Saturday and Sunday are their busiest days at the coffee shop, but Ingram said they only saw a few customers that weekend.

The construction is part of the I-285 Westside reconstruction project that will replace concrete slabs on a 10 mile stretch costing around $206 million.

Natalie Dale, a spokesperson for GDOT, explained the reason for the construction.

“These concrete slabs are almost 60 years old, and so they are well past their lifespan, and in order to really bring the structure and the safety, the stability to this roadway that has been needed, we need to rebuild the entire stretch,” she said.

Detours will be established during the closure, and drivers can call 511 for current travel information.