The I-85 South interchange is a gateway to one of the largest southeastern logistics corridors, and SR 74 is a significant commuting corridor for Fayette County. Currently, freight and commuter traffic is slowed down considerably when merging onto I-85 from the South Fulton CID area.

The South Fulton CID designed a new partial cloverleaf interchange to help traffic get onto the interstate more efficiently. The planned 0.4 miles of improvements will also include new or wider ramps, wider bridges over I-85, and new traffic signals. See the project plan below for greater detail.

The CID’s project plan was approved and construction began in March 2025. The interchange will remain open to traffic throughout construction. Traffic changes will be posted on the GDOT project website. For more project updates, follow our LinkedIn page.

Late 2027

The rapid growth of warehousing and distribution centers in the City of Fairburn has resulted in an influx of workers who ride transit to work.  

To access worksites on McClarin Road, Bohannon Road, or Logistics Center Drive from the closest southbound MARTA bus stop, pedestrians must cross US 29 without a crosswalk, as well as cross the CSX railroad tracks on foot. If a train is blocking the tracks, pedestrians will oftentimes crawl through the idle train just to make it to work on time. There are on average 100 pedestrians per day crossing the railroad tracks near Bohannon Road to get to and from work. 

In addition, the train entering the CSX intermodal facility can cause trucks to back up on McClarin Road. Both pedestrians and vehicle traffic must navigate trucks waiting to enter the facility.  

In 2023, South Fulton CID and City of Fairburn received a $1,008,000  RAISE (now BUILD) grant to create a pedestrian bridge over US 29 and the CSX railway near the intersection of US 29 and Harbor Road. The bridge will allow pedestrians and transit riders to access jobs along adjacent streets. The grant will also fund a more efficient roadway system for the freight community to know when trains are blocking crossings.

The CID and the city of Fairburn have received a federal RAISE grant to design:

• A two-span pedestrian bridge across US 29 and the CSX railroad tracks.
• Stair and elevator towers at the end of each bridge span
• Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) improvements

Project steps include preliminary engineering, project design and permitting, compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), public outreach, and stakeholder coordination.

Q2 2026

A new interchange at I-85 and Gullatt Road is needed to relieve the congestion at the over-burdened I-85/SR 74 interchange and along arterial roadways in this rapidly developing area.

The South Fulton CID completed an Interchange Feasibility Report (IFR) for the proposed Gullatt Road interchange, which was approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in 2021.  In 2025, GDOT undertook a formal Interchange Justification Report, using CID funding. The report was reviewed by the Federal Highway Administriation and accepted on December 3, 2025.

The Federal Highway Administration has reviewed and accepted the Gullatt Road I-85 Interchange Justification Report. Once constructed, this new interchange will increase access in the CID area by relieving freight traffic and movements from the I-85 / SR 74 /Fairburn Industrial Boulevard exit and surrounding roadways, including Oakley Industrial Boulevard, Roosevelt Highway, Bohannon Road, and Johnson Road.

The new interchange will:

• Relieve congestion at the I-85 / SR 74 interchange and along arterial roadways in this actively developing area.
• Allow for more direct routes to manufacturing/industrial developments that are located between the Collinsworth Road interchange and the SR 74 interchange.
• Provide commercial vehicles with direct access to CSX’s Fairburn Intermodal Terminal via I-85 to Gullatt Rd to McLarin Road.
• Concentrate truck traffic closer to the areas with high concentrations of industrial/freight intensive uses and away from areas that may be used for residential neighborhoods.