Complexities of Atlanta freeway driving can baffle
newcomers. Several of the freeways have trick signage...not
deliberately of course. It's just that the Department of
Transportation expects people to know where to get off, then it doesn't always
tell you what lane to be in to exit.
The city's basic freeway network
circles the central city like a wheel divided into quadrants by freeways whose
spokes continue to the north, west, east and south out to the rest of the
region. Satellite cities orbit around the city's heart, each with its
own regional malls, business districts, and sometimes its own distinct ethnic
population.
A brief overview of Atlanta interstates:
I-75: Enters
Atlanta from northwest and goes through the city exiting on the south. Runs from
Tennessee to Florida.
I-85: Enters Atlanta from the northeast and goes
through the city exiting on the southwest. Runs from South Carolina to
Alabama.
I-20: Cuts across Atlanta from east to west. Runs from South
Carolina to Alabama.
I-285: The perimeter encircling Atlanta.
The
outside of the freeway wheel (I-285) is called the perimeter. It is
like a too-tight belt halfway inside the city. Atlanta sprawls for 30-50 miles
in any direction from Downtown. The north side of I-285 between I-75 and across
to Ashford-Dunwoody Road is called the TOP END PERIMETER. It is a parking lot
between 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM. Avoid it if you can. Sometimes it is faster to go
south on I-85 then north on I-75 if you are headed from northeast to northwest.
A strip of road on I-75 going through downtown is called the DOWNTOWN
CONNECTOR. It begins roughly at Williams Street and continues to the
intersection of I-75 and I-20. Signage is good, but you have to have a sharp,
quick eye because exits and lanes come and go quickly. The jumble begins at
International Blvd. and becomes progressively more interesting as you near the
Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. To get to Marietta on I-75 from I-285 East, stay
in the two far right lanes. The third lane takes you to Downtown on I-75 South.
The left lanes continue your trip around on I-285.
Another place to use
your map before you get into the car is the Tom Moreland Interchange (a name
nobody uses) on the city's northeast side. Atlantans call it SPAGHETTI JUNCTION,
and sometimes MALFUNCTION JUNCTION, although it actually works rather well once
you have figured it out. Apparently designed by a maze master, this set of ramps
from everywhere else to I-85 and I-285 can be negotiated on a Sunday morning on
an exploratory basis. Until you have practiced a bit, do not attempt to noodle
around this interchange in the rain! Good luck!
It is very helpful to
learn to navigate the city using other methods of transportation than driving,
such as MARTA.