Mad Man Traffic

Nightmare on 14th Street
Thursday 08-28-2008 6:57am ET
IT’S GOING TO BE A NIGHTMARE OVER THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND ON THE DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR. ONLY THIS TIME WE CAN BLAME THE 14TH STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT AND NOT THE CONNECTOR REPAVEMENT PROGRAM. AS A MATTER OF FACT, FOR ALL INTENTS & PURPOSES, THAT’S DONE! OVER 2 MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!
NO. THIS TIME THEY HAVE TO REMOVE WHAT’S LEFT OF THE BRIDGE AND PREP THE AREA FOR THE NEW, LONGER & TALLER BRIDGE OVER 75 AND 85.
SO, THAT’S GOING TO MEAN MULTIPLE LANE CLOSURES HEADED INTO TOWN ON A WEEKEND WHERE THERE’S GOING TO BE OVER 150-THOUSAND ADDITIONAL PEOPLE HEADED INTO TOWN!
INTERSTATE 85 WILL BE CHOPPED DOWN TO JUST 2 LANES HEADING INTO THE CONNECTOR. THE REDUCTION WILL BEGIN AROUND GEORGIA 400. INTERSTATE 75 WILL BE CUT DOWN TO JUST ONE LANE HEADING INTO DOWNTOWN WITH THE TAPERING BEGINNING AROUND THE HOWELL MILL/NORTHSIDE EXIT.
THEY’VE SHIFTED THE MERGE OF 75 & 85 ALL THE WAY DOWN BY 10TH STREET IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS PROJECT. ONCE PAST THERE THE CONNECTOR WILL BE WIDE OPEN. THE PROBLEM IS GETTING THERE. IT’S GOING TO BE A MESS. IF YOU’RE COMING DOWN 85 YOU NEED TO BAIL NO LATER THAN THE PEACHTREE EXIT AND TAKE THE BUFORD/SPRING CONNECTOR. IF YOU’RE CLOSER TO SPAGHETTI JUNCTION THEN IT’S THE EASTSIDE PERIMETER TO I-20. ON 75 YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE MANY CHOICES EITHER. THE WESTSIDE PERIMETER WILL BE THE BEST BET. OTHERWISE YOU’LL HAVE TO WAIT YOUR TURN ON NORTHSIDE DRIVE.
THERE’S NO GETTING’ AROUND IT. IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. IT’S GOING TO BE BAD. BUT, ACCORDING TO THE PEOPLE AT THE D.O.T. IT WAS EITHER THIS OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THE NEXT 4 OR 5 WEEKENDS. AND WITH BRAVES, FALCONS, TECH AND OTHER EVENTS RAMPING UP IN SEPTEMBER THEY DECIDED TO JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE CLEMSON AND ALABAMA FANS PAY FOR OUR PROGRESS.