DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Transportation officials are reminding drivers about the Ashford Dunwoody Bridge closures at Interstate 285 as crews build the diverging diamond interchange.
The intersection will be closed all weekend, so expect delays near Perimeter Mall. Ramps will stay open, but Ashford Dunwoody Road will be down to one lane in the area. Drivers will be detoured through the I-285 Perimeter Center Parkway Bridge.
Channel 2 Action News has been closely monitoring the area, where drivers were seen making U-turns, instead of taking the detour just west on the I-285 Perimeter Center Parkway Bridge.
The confusion sparked concerns among some drivers about what's in store for Monday, when roads reopen for the unique interchange.
"I mean, everyone's going to be so confused I think, so I purposefully avoided (the area) this morning," said resident Julie Stith.
"It's different, so I'm not sure how it's going to work, but it's interesting," added Jean Marynski.
Once the work is done in time for the Monday morning commute, the diverging diamond interchange design, or DDI, will have crossover flow, with drivers going to the opposite side and then back again.
Both northbound and southbound drivers will switch lanes at the Ashford Dunwoody Bridge.
The new lanes allow southbound drivers to get on eastbound I-285 without crossing traffic. It does the same for northbound drivers who want to go west on I-285. Drivers who stay on Ashford Dunwoody would switch back to their normal lanes, past the interchanges.
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The interchange is the first of its kind in Georgia, and officials expect it to take some getting used to.
Engineers said the interchange is going to save about 15 minutes on drivers' commutes, although some drivers said they are skeptical about installation of the new pathway in one of metro Atlanta's busiest areas.
"If you aren't from here, and all of a sudden, you come across this diverging diamond or whatever, I'm sure it'll be a little confusing," Shaun Van Rensburg told Channel 2's Sophia Choi.
The diverging diamond interchange concept derives from France. Traffic engineers studied it for years before moving forward with it on Ashford Dunwoody, which about 55,000 cars pass through daily.
Police will help drivers for the first few days of the opening of the interchange.
Check back for updates and watch live reports at Channel 2 Action News at 6.
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