SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News is learning how the most expensive construction project in Georgia history should ease the morning commute.
Many north-end morning commuters, no matter what direction they're coming from, are impacted by one major choke point: The junction Interstate 285 and Georgia 400 come together.
The Georgia Department of Transportation hopes to ease congestion at the interchange by spending a $1 billion.
"It will eventually be the largest in GDOT history," said GDOT Project Manager Marlow Clowers.
Plans call for adding lanes and fly-over ramps to make more capacity and more collection areas so cars aren't backed up at the bottleneck. They hope to make it safer by reducing some of the weaving some drivers now face.
The project took a step forward with a community open house, the last chance for the public to have a say before moving into the final design.
Some neighbors are hoping for new sound barriers where collector lanes will be built close to homes.
But the perimeter area is one of the largest business centers in the metro, mixed with residential and medical facilities that keep adding new jobs.
"It's become a hub for major employment, so we've got to have this gateway to improve" Perimeter CID president Yvonne Williams.
Clowers says work will start by this time next year and drivers will see impact from construction.
"We're going to minimize those as much as we can, but there will be some," Clowers said.
GDOT calls the project's schedule accelerated, but it's going to take about three years to finish.
A study predicts the changes will save drivers an average of eight hours of commuting time a year in 2019.