Major Highway Systems of Atlanta
There are many roads that one can take in order to access the insides of the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Ranging from wide and speedy Interstates that cut through the settlement and split it in half at times, to US Routes and State Roads that pass through or through the sides of the city, and are recommended to be used in order to access the inside of the city. In this article we shall be talking about some of them and why you should take to certain roads most of the time over other roads, from different factors, mostly distance from the city center.
First off, let’s talk about the Downtown Connector, or James Wendell George Parkway. This road is one of, if not the most important road for Atlanta, as it splits the city in half, and sends much needed road traffic to the city, fueling its economy. It starts from both Interstate 75 and 85 in the south. The former, starting at the border of city limits, interchanges near the end of I-85 near Hammond Park, becoming concurrent with it. This forms the Downtown Connector, or I-75/I-85. This road passes through much of Atlanta, going through its city center, and forming a massive interchange with Interstate 20. The road then ends at the Brookwood Interchange/Split, near an area of the same name, where the two roads split from each other, I-75 would go straightly northwest, exiting the city limits and crossing the bridge that connects the other side of the Chattahoochee River, while Interstate 85 would veer to the northeast, exiting at the border of the area known as Lindridge-Martin Manor.
Another Interstate route to consider when traveling to the City in a Forest, is Interstate 20, which cuts the city in half, this time roughly horizontally instead of vertically with the previously discussed Interstates I-75 and I-85. The road comes from the east, and enters the city in the aptly named suburb of East Atlanta, staying on its westward course. It passes by the area of Capital Gateway and forms a large interchange with James Wendell George Parkway, also known as the Downtown Connector or I-75/I-85. It continues west, passing by The Mall West End. At its approach to the boundary of the city, it forms another interchange, this time with Interstate 285, before exiting the city in the west, crossing the Chattahoochee River not long after.
Finally, there’s the Interstate we mentioned in the previous paragraph, Interstate 285. The road passes through much of the western neighborhoods of Atlanta, forming an interchange with I-20. It exits the city as it crosses the river.
Another road one can take is US Route 78, which enters the city proper from Decatur. It also cuts through the city in the same way as Interstate 20. The route intersects with the Downtown Connector, forming a minor interchange with it. It passes through the northern parts of the downtown area of Atlanta, Georgia, as well as near the Georgia Institute of Technology. On its exit, it forms an interchange with Interstate 285, before exiting the city by crossing the Chattahoochee.