SMYRNA, Ga. -- After nearly four years, drivers along one of metro Atlanta's busiest corridor's may finally see relief in their commute with the opening of 30 miles worth of express lanes.
Dedicated express lanes along I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties, dubbed the Northwest Corridor, opened on Saturday, Sept. 8 bringing about the end of the largest project of its kind in state history.
The lanes run from the Akers Mill Road area to Hickory Grove Road on I-75 and along I-575 from I-75 to Sixes Road. Some of the new routes will also be reversible to handle rush hour traffic patterns.
To encourage commuters to use the lanes, Peach Pass users will be able to use the lanes free for the first 14 days. Click here for information on how to get a Peach Pass.
The project first began in September 2014 as a $834 million plan that Governor Nathan Deal said would provide "a reprieve for congestion on two of the state's busiest thoroughfares."
At the time the project began, Deal praised the project as a means of boosting the state's economic development by bolstering the state's transportation system.
In June, cosmetic portions of a retaining wall collapsed near Windy Hill Road over the express lanes.
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. near SunTrust Park.
