Northwest Express lanes to open Saturday

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - It's a moment commuters on Atlanta's northwest side have been waiting for... the opening of the I-75 / 575 express lanes. This is no normal HOV lane... this project is the largest infrastructure undertaking of it's kind in Georgia History. 

"Whats' so exciting is, even if you don't want to pay the money to hop into these lanes, if you don't want to pay the extra money for these express lanes, you will still see the benefi,t" says SKYFOX Traffic Anchor Katie Beasley.  "Just as a driver along 75, so many people will be paying to hop in those lanes, it's going to free up cars in the main lanes" Beasley added.

Navigating the new lanes can be tricky. Certain stretches of the new expressway will bypass some exits, making the flow of traffic more constant. Traffic planners suggest a visit to this official site to learn about the traffic patterns and entry / exit points. 

Traffic managers tell FOX 5 News they hope to maintain a 'constant speed' of at least 45 miles per hour on the lanes at all times. There are accident investigation lanes nearly every mile, and the new expressway will be patrolled by a H.E.R.O (driver assistance) unit around-the-clock. 

The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday at noon. Traffic flow will be directed inbound until the Monday afternoon rush hour. At that point, the lanes will be reversed.