Atlanta Daytime Traffic?

[shepfly]

Hi everyone, and HAPPY NEW YEAR. I have pulled a 37 ft 5th wheel thru downtown Atlanta numerous times between 1am and 3am,very lite traffic, easy peasy. This year it's a 42ft DP with toad and I would like you experience doing this between 10am and 2pm. Probley do this Jan 2 thru 4th. I could take the bypass but everyone tells me the road conditions are ****.Thanks for your replies. Dave

[TheLuvShack]

Went thru Atlanta yesterday about 2:30 pm heading North. Traffic South of Atlanta was stop and go thru the construction area for no apparent reason. Cost me about an hour of time. Once I passed the 285 split I75 thru Atlanta ran fine.

[Bob_Shaw]

I'm changing my recommendation for going through Albany GA. Albany got slammed pretty hard with tornados last night, and there's no telling what the road conditions are.

[Bob_Shaw]

If it were me, and I really wanted to avoid Atlanta, during a really heavy traffic period, I would get off I-75 at Calhoun Georgia, head south on GA Highway 53 to Rome, there I would catch US 27 and take that south all the way to I-185, south of LaGrange. Then in Columbus, stay on the expressway which becomes US 280, and then GA hwy 520 and then US 82 (all the same 4-lane divided highway) through Albany to catch I-75 at Tifton GA. It sounds complicated but it's not and it's mostly 4-lane divided with light traffic. Actually, on January 3, I'd take US 19 south out of Albany GA to I-10, and avoid all the heavy southbound traffic on I-75 in south Georgia. JMHO

[Bob_Shaw]

Charles2222 wrote:
At 19 and us 41 on south side take us 41 south thru Griffin on down to where it hits I-475 near Bolinbroke,then you miss all of the mess south of Atlanta.

If you don't mind going through Riverdale, with lots of traffic lights. The first 4-5 miles of that route can really suck.

[Charles2222]

At 19 and us 41 on south side take us 41 south thru Griffin on down to where it hits I-475 near Bolinbroke,then you miss all of the mess south of Atlanta.

[dadechil]

Straight through

[shepfly]

Hey guys, thanks for the info. Looks like I'll give it a try on Tues. I'll have to try some of the suggested sites. Thanks again, Dave

[Bob_Shaw]

A different opinion, from someone who worked in downtown Atlanta for 30 years. Normally, the above opinions would hold true, but, on January 2, there will be thousands (maybe tens of thousands) of snowbirds who, just like you who, have decided to head south after the holidays. Add that to the normal Atlanta traffic and it could be the pits. Going through downtown may not be too bad, but expect delays south of I-285 on the south side of the city, with heavy traffic all the way to Macon. You can also expect a lot of traffic all the way down I-75 especially from Gainesville Florida all the way through Ocala to the Turnpike. That's been my experience driving that route the day after New Years. Personally, I'm waiting until the 7th to travel, and I don't have to go through Atlanta.

[chindog]

We drove through Atlanta today. No problems. We were going south on highway 400, and took the I-285 loop around the west side, then down I-85 south. We went through at around noon.

[stickdog]

We always try to hit it on a weekend but have taken 275 since trying to shoot 75 on a Sunday and it was shut down because they were pulling wires across the interstate.

[wowens79]

WAZE, and Google maps do a good job with traffic. I'd go through the middle, and just take your time, pick a middle lane, and just be patient. I think the 2nd would be really light traffic, but the 3rd shouldn't be bad since most schools go back on the 4th.

We got a late start a couple of weeks ago, and hit downtown at 5pm on a Friday afternoon pulling a 33ft TT. We expected the worst, but it was better than expected, just took our time and made it through no problem.

[Horsedoc]

You will likely be OK, Mondays and Fridays are usually busier than other days - Mondays - those coming back into town and Fridays those getting out of town. Lot of people live inside the loop but get out on weekends. With this being a holiday weekend I would guess it would be more coming back on Monday as well.
Tuesday or Wednesday would be my choice - and I travel there regularly

[Halmfamily]

Straight thru, the bypass is always worse. Get in the middle and move along. I've pulled our 42' fiver through on a Saturday afternoon and as long as you planned for exits you'll be fine. Good luck and happy new year

[K_Charles]

Straight through is better most any time of day