Georgia Department of Transportation closing “flex lanes” on Georgia 400

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Set your alarm clock a bit earlier beginning next week. Your drive into work is likely going to take you longer, especially if you travel GA-400.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will close the busy highway’s flex lanes at 9 p.m. Friday. The lane reduction will impact about a five-mile stretch of GA-400 from the Pitts Road overpass to Holcomb Bridge Road.

A spokesperson for GDOT says while the flex lanes, which have been in use since 2012, have been convenient for drivers, they were never meant to be permanent.

The northbound and southbound shoulders have been open to rush hour traffic, early mornings, and late afternoons, over the past 10 years. GDOT plans to close them permanently as it prepares to replace three bridges along GA-400.

GDOT says eliminating the flex lanes is necessary for the safety of construction crews.

“So, a lot of construction staging will have to happen in this tight space which takes out those flex lanes,” said Natalie Dale, a GDOT spokesperson. “So, on Friday, use your flex lanes. It’ll be your last chance to say goodbye to them. They have served a great purpose, but we’ve got to get these bridges rebuilt, got to get construction going in that area.”

You’ll also notice a reduced speed limit along this stretch of highway, down to 55 miles per hour.

GDOT says it’ll take about two years to complete the reconstruction of all three bridges. A completion target date is slated for mid-2025.

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