Georgia · Cobb & Fulton Counties · Traffic & Accidents

I-285 Weekend Lane Closures Aug. 21–24, Hollowell Parkway (Exit 12) to South Cobb Drive (Exit 15) — Collier Drive to Paces Ferry Road, Cobb and Fulton Counties, GA

Two right lanes of I-285 come out between Hollowell Parkway, exit 12, and South Cobb Drive, exit 15, from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. This is a lane closure and not a shutdown of the interstate: GDOT has no full shutdown scheduled for the construction stretch this time, a change from last weekend. The rehabilitation zone stretches seven miles, from Collier Drive on the Fulton County end to Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County, northbound and southbound.

By Nathan Saunders Published Aug. 20, 2026, 2:54 p.m. ET 3 min read Lane closures · Not a full closure · 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday

I-285 weekend lane closures, Cobb and Fulton counties, Georgia — what has been released
Detail	What has been released
What closes	The two right lanes of I-285
Closure limits	Between Hollowell Parkway (exit 12) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15)
When	9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, 2026
Work zone	Seven miles of I-285, Collier Drive on the Fulton County end to Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County, northbound and southbound
Full closure	No full shutdown scheduled for the construction stretch, a change from last weekend
Reason given	Room for the heavy equipment rebuilding the concrete slabs
Also in the job	Shoulder lanes, median concrete, guardrail, signs and ATMS/ITS equipment
Driver notice	Message boards and posted signs along the roadside, ahead of time
Project	I-285 westside corridor, a $155 million job under way this summer
Counties	Cobb and Fulton

What is closing on I-285 this weekend?

The two rightmost lanes go out of service from exit 12 at Hollowell Parkway through exit 15 at South Cobb Drive, WSB-TV reported. The closures start at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, and the lanes are due back at 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24. Message boards along the roadside and posted signs will give drivers notice before the lanes go out, according to GDOT.

Is I-285 fully closed this weekend in Cobb and Fulton counties?

No. GDOT has not scheduled a full shutdown of the construction stretch for this weekend, a departure from last weekend. Because this round is a lane closure, the interstate itself is not being taken out of service through the work zone; what comes out are the two right lanes between Hollowell Parkway and South Cobb Drive.

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Where does the I-285 work zone run in Cobb and Fulton counties?

The rehabilitation stretch covers seven miles of I-285 in both directions. It begins at Collier Drive on the Fulton County end and runs to Paces Ferry Road on the Cobb County end.

The lane closure sits inside that stretch. Paces Ferry Road and Collier Drive mark the limits of the construction zone, while exits 12 and 15 mark the limits of the lanes coming out this weekend.

Why is GDOT closing the lanes on I-285?

The lanes have to come out so the heavy equipment rebuilding the concrete slabs has enough room to work, GDOT said. The job also takes in the shoulder lanes, the median concrete, guardrail, signs and the ATMS/ITS equipment.

It is the same undertaking crews have been carrying out through the summer: a $155 million project along the I-285 westside corridor.

What we don’t know yet

Ramps. There is no word on whether any ramps in the work zone are affected by the closures.
Weather. GDOT has not said whether the schedule could move if weather interferes this weekend.
Which slabs. The specific segments of concrete slab crews will work on over the weekend have not been identified.
An early reopening. It has not been said whether the lanes would go back in service before 5 a.m. Monday if crews finish early.

Frequently asked questions

What lanes of I-285 are closed this weekend?
The two right lanes, between Hollowell Parkway (exit 12) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15). The closures run from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, 2026.

Is I-285 fully closed this weekend in Cobb and Fulton counties?
No. GDOT has no full shutdown scheduled for the construction stretch this time, a change from last weekend. This round is a lane closure, and it affects both northbound and southbound travel.

Where does the I-285 work zone start and end?
It covers seven miles of I-285, from Collier Drive on the Fulton County end to Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County, in both directions. The lane closure itself sits inside that stretch, between the Hollowell Parkway and South Cobb Drive exits.

Why is GDOT closing lanes on I-285?
GDOT says the closures leave the heavy equipment rebuilding the concrete slabs enough room to work.

What else is being done besides the concrete slabs?
The job also takes in the shoulder lanes, the median concrete, guardrail, signs and the ATMS/ITS equipment, WSB-TV reported.

How will drivers be told about the I-285 lane closures?
Message boards along the roadside and posted signs will give drivers notice before the closures go in, GDOT said.

What is the I-285 westside project?
It is a $155 million project along the I-285 westside corridor, the same work crews have been carrying out through the summer. This weekend's lane closures are part of that job.

WSB-TV is the only newsroom that has reported the schedule so far; the details are GDOT’s.

More coverage is on our Cobb County page and our Fulton County page, and current road incidents statewide are collected on our Georgia traffic page. We also reported the full I-285 closure between Langford Parkway and Cascade Road set for Aug. 28–31 and an earlier full weekend closure of I-285 between Cascade Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Sources

WSB-TV (Cox Media Group, Atlanta), “Lanes of I-285 to be closed for weekend construction,” by WSBTV.com News Staff, published 2:35 p.m. ET Aug. 20, 2026. Source for the 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday schedule, the two right lanes closing between Hollowell Parkway (exit 12) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15), the seven-mile work zone from Collier Drive on the Fulton County end to Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County in both directions, the absence of a planned full closure this weekend, the advance message boards and signs, the stated need for room for the machinery, the shoulder, median, signage, guardrail and ATMS/ITS work, and the $155 million I-285 westside corridor project.
Georgia Department of Transportation, the agency behind every closure detail above, as relayed by WSB-TV.

Reported and fact-checked as of 2:54 p.m. ET on August 20, 2026.

Every source linked here was opened and verified at that time. GDOT has not announced a full closure of the construction area for this weekend. This report reflects what was known and confirmed at that moment and is not updated automatically as a story develops.

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