Thursday, December 21, 2023–12:50 p.m.

-Georgia Department of Transportation-

In anticipation of heightened travel during the upcoming holiday season, the Georgia Department of Transportation has declared a temporary suspension of lane closures along Georgia interstates, major state routes, and roadways near major shopping centers, malls, or districts. The suspension will start at 5 a.m. Friday, December 22, 2023, and will extend through 10 p.m. Tuesday, December 26, 2023, for the Christmas weekend.

While construction-related lane closures are paused, travelers must remain vigilant, as maintenance crews may still be active near highways. Additionally, certain long-term lane closures may continue due to safety considerations. It’s important to note that incident management, emergency, or maintenance-related lane closures could be implemented at any time on any route.

Below are the predictions of the best and worst travel times for the Christmas and New Year’s periods in 2023. These predictions are based on historical travel data from the holiday seasons spanning 2021 through 2022. Georgia DOT encourages all travelers to plan and exercise caution on the roads during this festive season.

• Metro Atlanta Interstates:
  • Moderate-to-heavy traffic is expected on the afternoons of Wednesday, December 20 and Thursday, December 21.
  • Motorists should exercise caution on Wednesday, December 20 as this day has a high potential for crashes.
  • Lighter than usual traffic is predicted on Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 26. 
• Metro Atlanta Surface Streets:
  • Heavy traffic is predicted on Wednesday, December 20 for the below routes:
    • SR 3 N/Cobb Pkwy
    • SR 141 N/Peachtree Rd
    • SR 42 E/Moreland Ave
  • Heaviest traffic is predicted to occur on Thursday, December 21 for the below routes:
    • SR 3N/Cobb Pkwy
    • SR 141 N/Peachtree Rd
    • SR 42 E/Moreland Ave
    • SR 3 S
  • Lighter than normal traffic is predicted for Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 26 on most metro Atlanta streets.