For the planned I-285 in North Carolina, see Interstate 285 (North Carolina).

Interstate 285 (abbreviated I-285) is a beltway interstate highway encircling Atlanta, Georgia for 62.77 miles (101.02 km). I-285 is also known as unsigned Georgia State Route 407 and is colloquially referred to as the Perimeter. It is very heavily traveled and frequently, portions of the highway slow to a crawl during rush hour. It is also signed as Atlanta Bypass.

I-285 intersects with Interstate 85 in the northeast (Tom Moreland Interchange/"Spaghetti Junction") and southwest, Interstate 75 in the northwest ("Cobb Cloverleaf") and southeast, Interstate 20 (Tom Murphy Freeway/Ralph David Abernathy Freeway/Purple Heart Highway) in the east and west, and Georgia 400 (Turner McDonald Parkway/T. Harvey Mathis Parkway) in the north. It also meets one end each of Interstate 675, Langford Parkway ("Lakewood Freeway"), and the Stone Mountain Freeway. For 1.21 miles (1.95 km) in the southwest corner, I-85 occupies the median of I-285, yet the roadways remain separate. Exits are numbered clockwise, starting at the southwestern-most point at I-85, and ending just east of there where it meets I-85 again.

Between I-85 and I-20 in southwest Fulton County, I-285 is designated as the "Bob A. Holmes Freeway". It is also known as "James E. 'Billy' McKinney Highway" between I-20 in northwest Atlanta and I-75 near Cumberland Mall.

The highway was officially opened in 1969. At that time, it was a total of four lanes wide. Currently, it is eight to ten lanes wide, with the northern part from I-75 to S.R. 400 to I-85 being by far the most heavily traveled. For this reason, the Georgia NaviGAtor chose this section to be the first to be upgraded with new traffic cameras.

Because the Perimeter was built so near the city, a second Outer Perimeter was proposed, to exist outside even most of the exurbs. Due to local opposition, most of the idea has been shelved indefinitely; however the Northern Arc section continues to come up, particularly under the previous governor of Georgia Roy Barnes.

The section from I-75 to I-85 on the south side has been bridged for a new runway for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Notes

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• The northern portion of I-285, east of the "Cobb Cloverleaf" (I-75 Junction) to "Spaghetti Junction" (I-85 Junction), is frequently referred to as the "Top End" in traffic reports, especially by Captain Herb Emory (ABC affiliate WSB-TV and WSB (AM)).

• The stretch of I-285 between I-75 and I-85 on the north end is one of the busiest freeways in the United States, handling about 250,000 cars per day and crossing through three counties. Through that stretch, the freeway balloons from 3 lanes to anywhere between 5 and 7 lanes.

• Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Pascual Pérez missed a 1982 Braves game where he was supposed to be the starting pitcher, by circling I-285 twice. Thereafter, his nickname was I-285. The Braves won the game.

• I-285 cost $90 Million to complete in 1969. The reconstruction, particularly on the Top End and the Spaghetti Junction reconfiguration, has cost about $355 Million.

• A lot of Atlanta's high end commercial real estate has popped up along I-285, particularly at the I-75 and Georgia 400 junctions. Notable buildings include the King and Queen towers as well as the Cobb Galleria complex.

• The I-285 and Georgia 400 interchange is frequently cited as the most dangerous intersection in Atlanta, and is slated to be reconfigured with collector distributor lanes along Georgia 400 and a complete full stack interchange that will make it the largest freeway interchange east of Los Angeles, California. The new interchange is expected to be able to handle around 300,000 cars per day. Feasibility studies have been completed, and it is in Atlanta's 2025 Regional Transportation Plan.

• Ironically, signage outside of I-285 along I-75 and I-85 refers to I-285 as the Atlanta Bypass. Locals know that, if anything, it is one of Atlanta's main streets. Since the 1970's, the Georgia Department of Transportation has planned an outer loop, which would be a roughly 230 mile circumferential loop around Metropolitan Atlanta. Under current Governor Sonny Perdue, the plans were dropped from the Regional Transportation Plan, in favor of the expansion of the rural state road network outside of Atlanta. As a sidenote, the state still retains ownership of most of the land that would be needed to complete at least the northern section of the Outer Loop, known as the Northern Arc.

• I-285 runs right through the center of Sandy Springs, Georgia which, as recently as 2005, was the most populous unincorporated urban area in the United States. Upon incorporation in December of 2005, Sandy Springs has roughly 90,000 documented residents, with probably another 15,000 undocumented residents.

• I-285 is the only freeway in the United States with an airport runway overpass. Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport recently completed major construction on its 5th runway, which runs directly overhead I-285 between I-85 and I-75 on the South Side.

Exit list

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The following exits are listed counterclockwise: south to north, west to east, north to south and east to west. In 2000, Georgia replaced the old, serial exit numbers with mile-log numbers.

SR 6, Camp Creek Parkway - East Point, College ParkGeorgia 154.svgSR 166, SR 154, Arthur B. Langford Jr. Parkway / Campbellton Road - Downtown Atlanta, Ben Hill, CarrolltonSR 139, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive - AdamsvilleGeorgia 402.svgInterstate 20, Ralph D. Abernathy Freeway / Tom Murphy Freeway - Atlanta, Augusta, Birmingham (AL)US 278.svgGeorgia 8.svgUS 78, US 278, SR 8, Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway - Bankhead, MabletonSR 280, South Cobb Drive - SmyrnaGeorgia 3.svgUS 41, SR 3, Cobb Parkway - Smyrna Georgia 401.svgInterstate 75, Larry McDonald Memorial Highway - Marietta, Chattanooga (TN), Atlanta Georgia 9.svgUS 19 South, SR 9, Roswell Road - Sandy Springs US 19.svgSR 400 ("Georgia 400"), US 19 North, Turner McDonald Parkway - Cumming, Dahlonega, Atlanta SR 141, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard - Doraville, Chamblee, NorcrossGeorgia 13.svgUS 23, SR 13, Buford Highway - Doraville, Chamblee Georgia 403.svgInterstate 85, Northeast Expressway / Veterans Parkway - Downtown Atlanta, Greenville (SC)SR 236, Lavista Road - Tucker Georgia 8.svgUS 29, SR 8, Lawrenceville Highway - Tucker, Decatur Georgia 410.svgUS 78, SR 410, Stone Mountain Freeway - Decatur, Atlanta, Snellville, AthensSR 10, Memorial Drive / Cynthia McKinney Parkway - Decatur, Avondale Estates, Stone Mountain Georgia 12.svgUS 278, SR 12, Covington Highway - Decatur, LithoniaGeorgia 402.svgInterstate 20, Ralph D. Abernathy Freeway / Purple Heart Highway - Atlanta, Birmingham, Augusta SR 155, Flat Shoals Road; Candler Road - Decatur Georgia 413.svgInterstate 675, Terrell Starr Parkway - MaconGeorgia 42.svgUS 23, SR 42, Moreland Avenue SR 54, Jonesboro Road - Forest Park, Southeast Atlanta Georgia 401.svgInterstate 75, Southeast Expressway - Atlanta, Macon, Tampa (FL), Forest Park, RiverdaleSR 139, Riverdale Road - College Park, Riverdale Georgia 403.svgInterstate 85, Southwest Expressway - Columbus, Montgomery (AL), Atlanta Airport, Atlanta Georgia 14 Spur.svgSR 279, Old National Highway / South Fulton Parkway, SR 14 Spur west - College Park, Fayetteville, Red Oak

Exit		Destinations	Notes
Old	New
2	1	Washington Road - East Point	To US 29
3	2
4	5	Split into 5A (east/north) and 5B (west/south); formerly Lakewood Freeway
5	7	Cascade Road - Cascade Heights	Former alignment of SR 154
6	9
7	10	Split into 10A (east) and 10B (west); 10A is a left exit southbound; 10B is a left exit northbound
8	12	Formerly Bankhead Highway
9	13	Bolton Road - Bankhead	Northbound only; former northernmost alignment of SR 70
10	15	Betty Porter Field Memorial Bridge
11	16	South Atlanta Road - Smyrna	Former alignment of SR 3
12	18	Paces Ferry Road - Vinings
13	19	Northbound exit and southbound entrance - westbound access to Cobb Parkway is via Exit 20, and eastbound entry is via the Cobb Cloverleaf
14	20	Cobb Cloverleaf
15	22	Northside Drive, New Northside Drive, Powers Ferry Road - Sandy Springs
16	24	Riverside Drive - Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs
17	25
18	26	Glenridge Drive, Glenridge Connector - Sandy Springs	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only; former SR 407 Loop
19	27
20	28	Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
21	29	Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody
22	30	Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, North Shallowford Road, Peachtree Road - Dunwoody
23	31	Split into 31A (south) and 31B (north)
25	32
26	33	Spaghetti Junction; two exits eastbound: 33A (south) and 33B (north)
27	34	Chamblee-Tucker Road - Tucker	Northbound exit only - eastbound exit is via Exit 33A
27A	36	Northlake Parkway - Tucker	Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
28	37
29	38
30	39	Split into 39A (west) and 39B (east); the southbound entrance from westbound US 78 and the northbound entrance from eastbound US 78 are left merges
31	40	East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Church Street - Clarkston, Scottdale, Decatur	Split diamond, since the two streets are parallel and separated by railroad tracks: southbound exit and northbound entrance on Ponce, northbound exit and southbound entrance on Church
32	41
32A	42	Indian Creek MARTA Station	Northbound exit and southbound entrance only; access only to MARTA parking
33	43
34	44	Glenwood Road - Decatur	Former alignment of SR 260 until late 2005
35	46	Pierre Howard Interchange; split into 46A (west) and 46B (east)
36	48
37	51	Bouldercrest Road
38	52
39	53
40	55
41	58
42	59	Clark Howell Highway, Loop Road - College Park	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only - westbound exit via Exit 58
43	60
44	61	Designated as James D. "Jim" McGee Memorial Highway from Flat Shoals Road to Senoia Road (SR 74) in South Fulton County
1	62

The original Exit 24 went to Tilly Mill Road and Flowers Road. When I-285 was reconfigured in the 1990s, the exit was removed.

References

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External link

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• Interstate 285 (history and facts)

Interstate Highways in Georgia | Three-digit Interstate Highways | Transportation in Atlanta | Georgia state highways | Orbital_roads