Local
Private consortium wins 50-year deal for I-285 east express lanes
Georgia’s transportation board approved a $8.9 billion plan for 19 miles of express lanes on the eastern side of I-285. The private consortium will build and maintain the lanes in exchange for 50 years of toll revenue, and construction is expected to begin in 2028.
A private consortium called Top End Mobility Group has been selected to build and maintain 19 miles of express lanes along the eastern side of I-285 under a 50-year agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The State Transportation Board approved the selection Thursday, advancing a project whose design and construction are expected to cost $8.9 billion. Top End Mobility Group will cover those costs and, in return, receive future toll revenue for five decades. The agreement also includes a $23.6 billion concession payment to Georgia and repayment of $515 million the state has already spent on the project.
Construction is scheduled to start in 2028. The outer-loop lanes are projected to open in 2034, followed by the inner-loop lanes in 2042. The lengthy construction period will bring disruptions for drivers on one of metro Atlanta’s busiest highways.
The project is part of the state’s effort to build a connected network of express lanes around the region. Transportation officials say the lanes could give drivers an option to bypass some congestion and provide a route for bus rapid transit. The lanes are not expected to eliminate traffic: GDOT projects traffic volumes will grow by 15% to 25% over the coming years.
Georgia has used public-private partnerships for other major highway projects, including express lanes on I-85, I-75 and the Northwest Corridor. The I-285 deal is a major expansion of that model, tying a long-term private operating concession to toll revenue from a corridor used daily by communities across metro Atlanta.