ATLANTA — As the spring break travel season kicks off, travel officials are offering tips to help passengers better navigate the increased traffic volume at metro Atlanta attractions, the airport and on the roads.
Metro Atlanta Roads
GDOT is anticipating an increase in traffic and congestion from Friday, March 31, until Sunday, April 9. The transportation department is asking drivers to have patience on the road as they may face longer travel times than usual, especially around popular spring break attractions like Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, Six Flags, Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
They have compiled data from 2022 to give an outlook, plus schedule changes for the Northwest Corridor and the South Metro Express Lanes.
Metro Atlanta Interstates:
- Higher traffic volumes are predicted on Friday, March 31 and over the weekend of April 7-9.
- Typical traffic volumes are expected Monday, April 3, through Thursday, April 6.
Metro Atlanta Surface Streets:
- Heavy traffic is predicted on Friday, March 31, leading into the spring break travel period, with the worst times to travel being between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Normal-to-light traffic is expected throughout metro Atlanta on Saturday, April 1, through Sunday, April 9.
- Low congestion and light traffic are predicted for April 8 and 9 in South Atlanta.
Express Lanes Changes
On major interstates outside of the metro Atlanta area, GDOT data shows the following traffic trends during the spring break travel period:
- I-20 eastbound congestion entering metro Atlanta; westbound congestion exiting the city towards Alabama.
- I-75 is predicted to have heavy congestion southbound and northbound coming out of Atlanta in Stockbridge.
- I-24 eastbound congestion in Northwest Georgia (near Chattanooga).
- I-16 westbound congestion exiting Savannah and I-16 eastbound congestion entering Savannah.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Travel
Over 4.4 million passengers are expected to come through the Atlanta airport from March 26 until April 9, with March 31 being the busiest day. The airport said that the busiest days are typically Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Passengers are asked to show up at least two and half hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours for international. People can find updated parking options, security wait times and open restaurants.
Look for a green-coated ATL Customer Service Representative to get any answers, directions and more.
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