A rendering of the future Atlanta express lanes. Georgia DOT Crews have officially broken ground on the Georgia Department of Transportation’s $4.6 billion State Route 400 Express Lanes project, beginning a five-year schedule that will upgrade a 16-mile corridor near Atlanta. Construction officially began earlier this month, according to CBS News . A February fact sheet from GDOT previously forecast that heavy construction would begin in Spring 2026 and that the new express lanes would open in 2031. The project will add new express lanes in both directions from McGinnis Ferry Road in Fulton County and McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County. By paying the new lanes’ variable-priced tolls — meaning prices will adjust with traffic levels — drivers will be able to bypass congestion, GDOT says. A bus rapid-transit system will be added to the project corridor with rider access to the new express lanes at several points. Expected benefits from the 400 Express Lanes Project include 19,000 hours in reduced delays per day and enhanced public safety via new bridges and general improvements. Funded through a public-private partnership, the project’s contractor, SR 400 Peach Partners, will make a
