Two I-285/I-20 interchange ramps to close overnight Nov. 16–21; detours use MLK Jr. Drive

Two ramps at the I-285/I-20 West Interchange will close overnight from Monday, Nov. 16 through Saturday, Nov. 21, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation's weekly closure notice. Both closures run from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. The Cobb Courier reprinted the notice on Nov. 1. Hello Mableton could not open GDOT's own copy.

• I-285 southbound to I-20 eastbound. The notice tells drivers to stay on I-285 through the interchange and take the SR 139/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive exit (Exit 9). From there, turn left onto MLK Jr. Drive, turn right onto the loop ramp to I-285 northbound, then exit right onto I-20 eastbound (Exit 10A).
• I-20 eastbound to I-285 northbound. The notice tells drivers to take the exit to I-285 southbound (Exit 51A) and continue straight onto SR 139/MLK Jr. Drive (Exit 9). Then turn left onto MLK Jr. Drive and right onto the loop ramp to I-285 northbound.

GDOT says the detours are scheduled so they don't conflict, and "no more than one ramp in the I-285/I-20 West Interchange will be closed at a time." The notice warns that exact times may change with the weather.

Lane closures through Nov. 9

The notice lists single-lane closures every night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and double-lane closures from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Monday, Nov. 9. They cover I-20 eastbound from Riverside Parkway to the interchange and I-20 westbound from the Anderson Avenue underpass to Riverside Parkway. On I-285 southbound, the right lane and shoulder will be closed from US 78/Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway to SR 139/MLK Jr. Drive from Friday, Nov. 6 to Monday, Nov. 9. The notice labels that closure "Continuous."

A longer closure in 2027

The notice also says that starting in January 2027 "there will be a six-month closure of the westbound I-20 to I-285 southbound access to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW (SR 139)." It gives no exact start date and no detour. The wording could describe more than one ramp, and Hello Mableton has not confirmed with GDOT which one will close.

Background

The Cobb Courier writes that the project mainly affects west Atlanta, Mableton, Smyrna and the Vinings/Cumberland area. In a project FAQ dated May 20, 2026, GDOT says construction began in July 2025 and should be substantially finished in 2030. The FAQ says the state finalized a $1.2 billion design-build contract in late 2024. It also says the project will replace left-hand exits, including the I-20 westbound to I-285 southbound exit, with right-hand ramps, and that "access on I-285 and I-20 will be maintained" during construction.

What's still unknown

The documents we reviewed don't say which ramp the January closure covers, exactly when it starts or how traffic will be detoured. GDOT's project page did not load usable content when Hello Mableton tried to open it. GDOT's FAQ lists WestInterchange@dot.ga.gov and 770-343-0770 for updates. For live traffic conditions, visit 511ga.org or call 511.