We are traveling Christmas weekend. Is it better to go through Atlanta on Saturday or Sunday? Or is that when they do construction?

You probably won't find active construction sites during the Christmas holiday - but traffic won't be any lighter on holiday weekends, either. Stick to the middle lanes, plan far ahead for the lanes you need to be in, and just drive straight through. I HATE Atlanta...Rob

Second Chance wrote:- but traffic won't be any lighter on holiday weekends, either. Stick to the middle lanes, plan far ahead for the lanes you need to be in, and just drive straight through. I HATE Atlanta...Can't agree with most of that.1) Go through on 75/85.....NOT the "bypasss" where all the trucks are.2) Traffic will always be lighter on the weekends, when a million or so locals are NOT commuting to work. Sunday is best. There is still a small morning and evening "rush hour" on Saturday but not bad.3) There is a constant lane shift through downtown so the middle lane often becomes an "exit only" after an interchange or two.So it is best to keep as far LEFT as you can without being a traffic hazard yourself. The second lane from the left usually is best....with a tow or without.Atlanta is no better or worse than any other BIG city.Most of the serious problems are from some idiot causing a multi-vehicle pile up and you can't predict that.

As 'Second Chance Rob) said. Straight through, middle lanes and plan ahead for lane changes.Ken

Well if you must drive through Atlanta just keep your cool, and be patient. Can’t be worse than Everett to Olympia In Washington State.

I go straight through and if you are willing to run 65-70, use the HOV lane (2 people). Sunday is better than Saturday. We will be going through Christmas Day when there is very little truck traffic.Where are you going in FLa?

Traveling southbound through Atlanta on I-75 in 5th wheel

dedmiston
Moderator
Dec 25, 2019
I deleted a bunch of troll posts.

Closing.

Some of you get lumps of coal.

Merry Christmas to the OP. Drive safe.
M_R_E_
Explorer
Dec 23, 2019
Thanks to everyone. We are going to Clermont. FL.
Merry Christmas
Horsedoc
Explorer II
Dec 22, 2019
Actually we have been pretty agressive in road surfacing on 285 in the last few years.
285 road surface is pretty good as well it should be. Millions have been spent lately there. The problem is that 2 interstate size surface roads (Ga 400 and Ga 315) dump thousands of autos and truck into the mix daily and I-75, I-85 and I-20 all dump the huge amount of trucks they carry on it. The metro areas are growing steadily but there basically is no where to add other lanes to 285.
We keep talking about 'the outer loop" that might be part of the solution and adding a 2nd level of top of 285. With the costs of property in the metro Atlanta are being astronomically high even higher on and inside the loop we are talking billions and billions of dollars.
I get started running my mouth. Please forgive me.
Drive straight through on I-75. Less trucks and wider lanes. Stay away from the right lane - it has a tendency to disappear with very little warning. Run with the traffic and try to keep up what is going on as far ahead as you can.
Sam_Spade
Explorer
Dec 22, 2019
dhull wrote:
But I believe that if you have more than 6 wheels you will be directed to the outer belt with the semis?

And I believe NOT.

I have done that route maybe a hundred times over 30 years or so.......and don't remember EVER seeing any signs indicting the downtown restrictions.

That leads me to believe that it applies ONLY to commercial vehicles.

And I would NEVER take an RV into a single lane HOV or EXPRESS lane where there is limited entrance and exit places.
Just NOT a good idea. And I suspect not strictly legal either.
shepfly
Explorer
Dec 22, 2019
All semi-trucks not making a delivery in downtown Atlanta must use the bypass. The road conditions from all the trucks very poor if your not running 22.5 tires you could disappear! I've gone thru 9 years after 10pm and before 5am all days of the wk, try it you'll wonder why they wasted all that asphalt? Dave
Edd505
Explorer
Dec 22, 2019
Why not the 285 loop??
2Rad4U
Explorer III
Dec 22, 2019
Straight through Sunday morning around 5am...
cavie
Explorer
Dec 21, 2019
Go east to 441 south to Macon to 75.
Ivylog
Explorer III
Dec 21, 2019
I’ve been going straight through for 14 years with 14 wheels...not a commercial vehicle.
dhull
Explorer II
Dec 21, 2019
I always plan going thru Atlanta on sunday mornings before 8 am and it's not too bad, for Atlanta! But I believe that if you have more than 6 wheels you will be directed to the outer belt with the semis?