The State Transportation Board of Georgia selected a contractor to rebuild the I-285 interchange at I-20 east of the city this week. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the state came to an agreement with East Interchange Builders LLC, a team led by two of the largest transportation construction firms in Georgia: Archer Western Construction LLC and E.R. Snell Contractor Inc. The contract is worth $685.6 million
Out of the three proposals received for the work, the Georgia Department of Transportation selected East Interchange Builders because it scored highest on its technical and financial proposals, GDOT Chief Engineer Meg Pirkle said.
The new interchange is one of a handful of major highway construction projects planned for metro Atlanta in the coming years. GDOT is currently rebuilding the I-285 interchange at Ga. 400, is planning to build toll roads on the top half of the Perimeter and on Ga. 400 and will also rebuild the I-285 interchange at I-20 west of Atlanta.
The contractor will build new interchange ramps, add lanes on both highways and replace various bridges. GDOT says the work will smooth the flow of traffic through the interchange and decrease travel times, which has been a problem. According to the American Transportation Research Institute, the current average speed through the I-285/I-20 east interchange is 46.6 mph. That falls to 41.4 mph in peak traffic.
Construction on the new I-285 interchange at I-20 east of Atlanta will begin in mid-2023 and finish in late 2026.
------------
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
