Interstate 285 (Georgia)

Interstate 285, usually known as the Perimeter, is a beltway interstate highway encircling Atlanta, Georgia for 64 miles (103km). It is very heavily traveled and frequently slows to a crawl during rush hour.

I-285 intersects with Interstate 85 in the northeast and southwest, Interstate 75 in the northwest and south, Interstate 20 in the east and west, and Georgia 400 in the north. It also meets one end each of Interstate 675, Langford Parkway, and the Stone Mountain Expressway. For 1.21 miles (1.95km) in the southwest corner, I-285 is dual-signed with I-85, solely for continuity. Exits are numbered clockwise, starting at the southwestern-most point at I-85, and ending just east of there where it merges with I-85 again.

The highway was officially opened in 1969. At that time, it was a total of four lanes wide. Currently, it is eight to ten lanes wide, with the northern part from 75 to 400 to 85 being by far the most heavily traveled. For this reason, the Georgia NaviGAtor chose the section to be the first to be upgraded with new traffic cameras.

Because the Perimeter was built so near the city, the Outer Perimeter had been proposed very far out, even beyond most of the exurbs. Most of the idea has been shelved indefinitely, however the Northern Arc section continues to come up, particularly under the previous governor of Georgia Roy Barnes.

The section from I-75 to I-85 on the south side is currently being bridged for a new runway for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Interstate 285 North/SR 407 North

• Washington Road/College Park (1)
• Camp Creek Parkway/Atlanta Airport/College Park/East Point/SR 6 (2)
• Langford Parkway/Campbellton Road/Ben Hill/SR 166/SR 154 (5A/5B)
• Cascade Road (7)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Drive/Adamsville/SR 139 (9)
• Interstate 20/SR 402/Ralph David Abernathy Freeway (East to the I-285 East Wall)/Tom Murphy Freeway (West to Birmingham)/Birmingham/Augusta/Atlanta (10A/10B)
• Bankhead Highway/US 78/US 278/SR 8 (12)
• Bolton Road (Northbound Only) (13)
• South Cobb Drive/Smyrna/SR 280 (15)
• South Atlanta Road/Smyrna (16)
• Paces Ferry Road/Vinings (18)
• Cobb Parkway/US 41/SR 3 (Northbound Only) (Southbound utilize exit 20) (19)
• Interstate 75/SR 401/Marietta/Chattanooga/Atlanta (20)

Interstate 285 East/SR 407 East

• Northside Drive/New Northside Drive/Powers Ferry Road (22)
• Riverside Drive/Mount Vernon Highway (24)
• Roswell Road/Sandy Springs/US 19 South/SR 9 (25)
• Glenridge Drive/Glenridge Connector/SR 407 Loop (Eastbound Only) (26)
• SR 400/US 19 North/Cumming/Dahlonega/Atlanta (27)
• Peachtree-Dunwoody Road (28)
• Ashford-Dunwoody Road (29)
• Chamblee-Dunwoody Road/North Shallowford Road/Peachtree Road (30)
• Peachtree Industrial Boulevard/Chamblee/Norcross/SR 141 (31A/31B)
• Buford Highway/US 23/SR 13 (32)
• Interstate 85/SR 403/Greenville/Atlanta (33A/33B)
• Chamblee-Tucker Road (34)

Interstate 285 South/SR 407 South

• Northlake Parkway (Northlake Mall) (Southbound Only) (36)
• LaVista Road/SR 236 (37)
• Lawrenceville Highway/US 29/SR 8 (38)
• Stone Mountain Freeway/Decatur/Atlanta/Snellville/Athens/US 78/SR 410 (39A/39B)
• East Ponce de Leon Avenue/Church Street (40)
• Memorial Drive/Avondale Estates/SR 10 (41)
• Indian Creek Train Station/MARTA Parking (Northbound Only) (42)
• Covington Highway/US 278/SR 12 (43)
• Glenwood Road/SR 260 (44)
• Interstate 20/SR 402/Ralph David Abernathy Freeway(West to Atlanta)/Purple Heart Highway (East to Augusta)/Atlanta/Augusta (46A/46B)

Interstate 285 West/SR 407 West

• Flat Shoals Road/Flat Shoals Parkway/Candler Road/SR 155 (48)
• Bouldercrest Road (51)
• Interstate 675 South/SR 413 South/Macon/Stockbridge (52)
• Moreland Avenue/US 23/SR 42 (53)
• Jonesboro Road/Forest Park/SR 54 (55)
• Interstate 75/SR 401/Old Dixie Road/Old Dixie Highway/US 19/US 41/SR 3/Forest Park/Atlanta/Macon (58)
• Clark Howell Highway/Loop Road (Eastbound Only) (59) (Westbound utilize exit 58)
• Riverdale Road/SR 139/Riverdale/College Park (60)
• Interstate 85/SR 403/Columbus/Montgomery/Atlanta Airport/Atlanta (61)
• Old National Highway/SR 279/South Fulton Parkway/SR 14 Spur/Roosevelt Higway/US 29/SR 14/College Park/Fayetteville (62)

External link

• Interstate 285 (history and facts)