South Fulton CID Is Improving Roads on and Off I-85

The South Fulton Community Improvement District (CID) is here to do just that: keeping drivers safe and moving in Fairburn, Palmetto, and Union City. Right now, they’re planning a new I-85 interchange at Gullatt Road to relieve congestion and reduce the risk of crashes.

What’s the CID doing?  

To create a new interchange, The Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) requires Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to conduct an Interchange Justification Report (IJR) to show why it’s needed. The South Fulton CID has spearheaded the effort by conducting a preliminary feasibility report. Next, they’re helping fund the IJR.  

GDOT is studying daily traffic, crash reports, and the area’s economic growth to prove the need. The report is on track for submission in September 2025. Once we’ve proved the need for the interchange and FHWA approves, it’s on to state-wide planning and design.  

According to the current IJR draft, the new interchange will open in 2038.  

The problem: highway drivers have nowhere else to turn 

South Fulton’s roads are only getting busier, especially along I-85 near Gullatt and SR74/ Senoia Roads. Most Fayette County commuters drive into Atlanta on I-85, and the 6-mile stretch of highway within the CID sees 42,000 cars each day. Since more than half of Fairburn’s largest employers are situated right off the highway along Oakley Industrial Boulevard, a large portion of those commuters and truckers are exiting at the SR 74 interchange. 

The bustling logistics center in Fairburn and South Fulton brings great economic benefits, but keeping our transport drivers and local commuters safe requires staying on top of traffic. 

As more employers take advantage of South Fulton’s logistics powerhouse, more drivers are headed out on these roads. Worry not: the South Fulton CID is here to future-proof Fairburn’s infrastructure.  

The solution: more options, less congestion, safer streets 

Along with establishing a bus route serving the area and working to upgrade the SR 74/I-85 interchange, the South Fulton CID is refitting local roads to manage traffic and get commuters more directly to their work.  

• The CID has funded traffic studies to find where a new interchange will make the most impact 
• A new interchange at Gullatt Road will help relieve existing nearby interchanges of heavy truck traffic 
• The expansion of Oakley Industrial Boulevard to Gullatt will provide increased access 
• Reclamation paving of Gullatt will future proof the roadway for heavy truck traffic