What is the goal of revive285 top end?
The program will develop a comprehensive transportation concept for the top end of I-285 between I-75 and I-85. This concept will address long-term transportation solutions for the entire corridor.

Who is leading revive285 top end?
Georgia DOT is leading the program in association with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). ARCADIS was selected to serve as the prime consultant for the project.

How can I share my thoughts on the top end’s problems or ideas on how to make it better?
Visit our Public Comment Center to share your thoughts.

How will I hear about revive285 top end’s progress?
There are a number of ways to stay up-to-date. Public meetings will be held at locations throughout the corridor, and this website will provide up-to-date information at every phase of the project. The media will also be kept in the loop.

What changes will be made to I-285’s top end?
The changes to be made to I-285’s top end are not known at this time. revive285 top end will focus on developing a comprehensive plan to address the transportation needs of this corridor. In order to determine the changes, the project team must look at how the projects currently planned and programmed for this corridor will impact I-285. The goal is to guide the project efforts in a way that provides the most benefit and creates a solution for I-285’s top end that will be effective well into the future.

When will construction begin?
At this point, there is not a projected construction timeline. The analysis and concept development phase will last until approximately 2009. However, there will likely be individual projects that have already been planned or programmed that will begin construction prior to final concept development.

I’ve heard that a particular project along the corridor is supposed to start construction soon. Is that going to be put on hold because of revive285 top end?
The only project along the corridor currently scheduled for construction is a major resurfacing of I-285 from West Paces Ferry Road to Chamblee-Tucker Road. Other projects along the top end of I-285 that you may have heard about are not yet scheduled for construction. In fact, these projects will require an approved I-285 concept and environmental document to be advanced.

The terms “programmed” and “planned” appear in relation to projects throughout this website. What do they mean?
Programmed projects are those that have been previously designated to receive funds in a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). A TIP includes short-range transportation projects designed to be viable solutions for a minimum of three years.

Planned projects are those projects identified in the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). An RTP includes long-range transportation projects and initiatives that are designed to be viable solutions for a minimum of 20 years. Planned projects are those that have been identified, but not yet programmed for funding.

I’ve heard that Georgia DOT is also conducting another I-285 study. What is that?
Georgia DOT is completing the I-285 Strategic Implementation Plan (I-285 Planning Study). This study will provide an analysis of the entire I-285 loop and develop simulation tools to model the impact of potential transportation solutions. Unlike revive285 top end, this study will not advance projects through development and construction. However, the data and models developed as a part of this study will be integral to the efforts of revive285 top end.

Please click here to access the Georgia DOT’s webpage and more detailed information of the I-285 Planning Study.

Will revive285 top end incorporate any other previous planning efforts?
There have been previous efforts to identify and plan for improvement projects along the top end. Whenever past work can be integrated, it will be. However, there has not been a past project like revive285 top end that focuses on the entire stretch of this vital corridor from a comprehensive standpoint.

How does Georgia plan transportation improvements?
Click here to enlarge the graphic below that explains how a transportation improvement request ultimately becomes a completed project.

What are managed lanes?
A managed lane is one where access to the lane is restricted based on occupancy, tolls, and/or vehicle classification. Examples of managed lanes include:

• High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes
• High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes
• Truck-Only Lanes (TOL)/Truck-Only Toll (TOT) Lanes

Managed lanes are used in conjunction with general-purpose lanes to improve traffic flow on the overall highway system.

What are HOV lanes?
High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are designated for vehicles with two or more people, such as buses, vanpools and carpools. HOV lanes serve to alleviate congestion by encouraging fewer single-occupant vehicles on the highway. These lanes improve mobility, reduce congestion, save money and help to improve air quality. In metro Atlanta, HOV lanes are successfully operating on Interstates 75, 85 and 20.

For more information, visit Georgia DOT’s HOV Lanes webpage.

What are HOT lanes?
High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes allow single-occupant vehicles to pay a variably priced toll to use special lanes, often HOV lanes. HOT lanes typically rely on electronic tolling systems that use congestion-based pricing. Such tolling is variable, based on the time of day and amount of congestion. HOT lanes provide drivers the option of paying to drive in free-flowing traffic in times of heavy congestion.

What are TOL lanes?
Truck-Only Lanes (TOLs) are managed lanes intended for use by heavy trucks alone and are typically separated by barriers from general-purpose lanes. Such lanes primarily serve “through-trucks” that do not have local deliveries. This option improves safety and operations by physically separating heavy trucks from automobile traffic. At this time, Georgia does not operate any TOLs.

What is the project schedule?
The analysis and concept development phase will last until approximately 2009 and approval of the environmental document is not anticipated until 2010. The Record of Decision (ROD) is anticipated in 2010. After receipt of the ROD, the Georgia DOT will need to undertake final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. This is based on the traditional procurement process and assuming the availability of funding.

How much will this project cost?
A detailed project concept and corresponding cost have not yet been identified. A complete project cost estimate will be developed once the detailed corridor improvement concept has been identified. Project funding will most likely be provided by the US DOT, Georgia DOT, and GRTA.

What research do you have that supports either HOV and/or BRT need?
Multiple studies have been conducted thus far, including the I-285 Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis, the Northwest I-75/I-575 HOV/BRT Project, and the HOV Strategic Implementation Plan. Information on those studies can be found on Georgia DOT’s website (www.dot.state.ga.us).

What type of environmental analysis will be conducted? 
The project team will conduct database research for known environmental features and field identification of other potential features. These may include potentially eligible historic properties, potential hazardous material locations, environmental justice communities as well as other features. Environmental specialists (i.e., historians, ecologists, and community planners) will conduct the field investigations for environmental features that may be impacted. This analysis will occur later in the project process during the evaluation of alternatives.

Will noise impacts be assessed?
Noise impact assessments will be completed as part of the environmental process. Areas that will have an increase in noise that exceeds the threshold for impacts will be analyzed for barrier construction or other methods for decreasing noise impacts, such as landscaping/earth berms.

What makes a property eligible for the National Register of Historic Places?
A resource may be determined eligible if it meets the minimum requirement of being 50 years old or older, is a recognized architectural style, is associated with a person or event of historical importance or may yield important information about history or prehistory, and still retains integrity according to the criteria established under the National Historic Preservation Act. Determinations are made by the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO).

How do you minimize impacts to wetlands?
Avoidance is the first step in reducing impacts to wetlands. Alternatives that avoid impacts are considered, and if feasible, selected. If no feasible avoidance alternative is available, impacts are minimized to the maximum extent possible. Minimization strategies include, but are not limited to the following: bridging large expanses of wetlands; installing retaining walls instead of encroaching within the wetland; and reducing median widths, right-of-way widths, fill slopes, and/or shoulder widths. Lastly, where possible, wetlands are crossed perpendicularly to minimize potential impacts. If impacts to wetlands are unavoidable and/or cannot be further minimized, mitigation in the form of wetland credit purchase or restoration (on-site or off-site) is completed to compensate for the unavoidable loss.

Are you going to remove all the trees that currently line the interstate?
No alternative has been developed and/or selected at this time; therefore, it is not known whether the areas containing trees will be needed for improvements. If vegetation clearing is required for the improvements to the I-285 corridor, Georgia DOT plans for early regeneration of disturbed areas during the construction phase. The Georgia DOT may also look into ways to mitigate the loss of vegetation due to construction.

How much time will I save once this project is completed?
Currently, travel modeling and time saving analyses are being conducted to determine the amount of time a traveler may save under various improvement alternatives. This data is not yet available, but will be made available at future public meetings and on the project website.

Have alternatives been developed and what are the estimated right-of-way needs?
The revive285 top end project is still in the very early stages of the project process, which includes collecting a wide variety of information that will provide a background for determining the most appropriate roadway, transit, and/or interchange improvements needed along the I-285 corridor. As such, no specific plans have been developed for any portion of the I-285 corridor. We will know more about the estimated right-of-way needs as the project progresses, and this information will be provided at future public information open houses (PIOHs).

How does GRTA and/or Georgia DOT influence land use policy?
Land use policy is determined by local jurisdictions and Georgia DOT is not involved in land use policy. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) does have review authority of large-scale new developments. GRTA reviews Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) for the impact on the region’s transportation network and identifies ways to reduce any negative impacts. In addition, Georgia DOT and GRTA evaluate the impact of new transportation projects on the environment, in accordance with NEPA. Impacts on land use are included in the analysis.

How is Georgia DOT involved in any decision to raise the gas tax in Georgia?
Any decision to alter the state's gas tax is up to the state legislature. While Georgia DOT will likely consult with law makers as requested, Georgia DOT does not vote on this matter.

How effective will any fix for the I-285 top end be if the major connecting corridors are not improved?
Improving connections to other corridors (i.e., GA 400, I-75, I-285 and I-85) both as they exist today and how they will function in the future is a key goal of revive285 top end. The revive285 top end corridor project represents only one of several planned system improvements in various stages of implementation (i.e., under construction, under design, or programmed). In this region, the State of Georgia and the Atlanta Regional Commission set priorities that determine the order for implementation of these improvements. For more information on planned/programmed improvements along connecting corridors, please visit the Planned and Programmed Projects page of this website or visit the Atlanta Regional Commission’s website to review the Regional Transportation Plan or call them at 404.463.3272.

Are there any private development or investment partners engaged in this project?  If not, are there plans to engage any?
Georgia DOT is not presently pursuing a private development partner for this project. However, the opportunity to do such will continually be reevaluated as the project is further developed. If you would like more information on public-private partnerships, please visit the Georgia DOT's website and click the “Public Private Initiatives” link under “Programs and Policies.” 

• the predicted noise level that approaches (within one decibel) or exceeds the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) noise abatement criteria or there is a substantial increase in noise levels (10 dBA or more over existing levels)
• site conditions allow for the construction of a noise wall
• the expected level of noise reduction exceeds the cost for constructing the wall