The new Mt. Vernon Highway Bridge over I-285 will open to vehicular traffic on Monday, April 22, ending months of detours for the 15,000 motorists who used the bridge daily.
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced that with the coordination of its contractor, Archer Western Construction, and the City of Sandy Springs, the bridge is reopening. The traffic shift will be finalized after 9 a.m. on Monday. Minor Mt. Vernon Highway traffic interruptions will continue over the next few weeks so crews can finish all new bridge aspects.
In a phased approach to the final configuration, drivers will have one lane in each direction available pending additional sidewalk and multiuse path construction completion, GDOT said in a release. The pedestrian access remains closed until those multimodal accommodations open.
The area will remain a work zone with its speed limit reduced to 25 mph, GDOT said in its release. Drivers should expect temporary traffic interruptions at the overpass and I-285 as needed.
GDOT said that the expedited construction and opening of this new bridge is a major milestone achieved for the I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane project. The department expressed appreciation for the patience of motorists and the coordination with community partners that allowed it to build the new bridge structure quickly and safely.
The Mt. Vernon Highway bridge replacement is part of a larger project, the I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane Extension. This project adds a lane on I-285 westbound from Roswell Road to Riverside Drive in Fulton County. The overall project is scheduled to be substantially completed in Q3 2025.
Construction of the new bridge was accelerated after a tractor-trailer struck the old bridge in late September 2023. The accident made the bridge structurally unsound and forced a permanent closure to all traffic.
The schedule remains subject to change due to weather and other factors. Motorists should check for updates via Ga 511, the project website and GDOT social media.