Kemp says $1.8 billion project could fix I-75 traffic south of Atlanta
- - Kemp says $1.8 billion project could fix I-75 traffic south of Atlanta
Irene Wright, USA TODAYJanuary 15, 2026 at 10:53 PM
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Anyone traveling south of Atlanta knows to plan for extra time when they reach Henry County.
On I-75 south, the area has a consistent bottleneck where the traffic backs up for no obvious reason, and interstate travelers are stuck between long-haul trucks and commuters heading in and out of the city.
But on Wednesday, during a speech at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual Eggs and Issues event for the legislature, Governor Brian Kemp proposed a solution.
It just needs $1.8 billion.
Atlanta among worst for road congestion
Kemp's closing address at the event covered issues from affordability to energy to education, but he spent a notable amount of time on Georgia's larger infrastructure plans.
"The most recent report from the major roadway analytics firm INRIX, out just last month, named Atlanta the seventh worst city in the country for road congestion. By their calculations, hours lost to traffic in metro Atlanta increased by 23% in the past two years, alone, the third highest increase in the country," Kemp said.
He went on to explain commuters driving in and out of the city are losing at least 75 hours of their life to traffic, costing each commuter more than $1,400 a piece.
Kemp says this undermines potential economic development as business owners don't want to move into locations where their workers will have to live and commute in those conditions.
"When it comes to traffic congestion, we can't let our competitors have the upper hand, and I believe we must double down on previous, historic investments my administration and the General Assembly have made in order to ensure Georgia doesn't fall behind," Kemp said.
A $1.8 billion price tag
During his speech, Kemp announced a budget proposal for a $1.8 billion project that would increase the roadway capacity on I-75 in Henry County. The project would add additional express lanes on both the north and south-bound sides.
Currently, the express lanes only go in one direction at a given time, meaning only those stuck in traffic going north can get out of the rut during certain parts of the day, and the south other parts of the day.
"Nearly 200,000 vehicles a day travel this major artery that connects Georgians with key business hubs in much of our state," Kemp said. "A quarter of those vehicles are trucks hauling goods — more than most major highways."
As many as 45 to 60% of commuters are unable to jump on the express lanes when they need them, Kemp said, meaning a main commerce corridor becomes all but stopped. Additional express lanes would allow commuters to bypass some of the congestion, and leave commercial trucks on the main road.
"This funding will enable GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation) and SRTA (State Road and Tollway Authority) to address those issues head on," Kemp said. "Our initial estimates indicate that once these express lanes are completed, as much as 70 percent more vehicles will be able to pass through that corridor during rush hours."
Other traffic projects in metro Atlanta
The Governor also announced a $200 million investment for improvements to Georgia 316, the road connecting Atlanta and Athens. There will also be another $250 million in local road projects as part of this year's budget.
These investments come after the start of a multi-billion dollar GDOT project to add express lanes to SR 400, which runs north from Atlanta through Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta and up into Cumming.
The project will add express lanes along a 16-mile stretch starting at the North Springs MARTA station and ending just north of McFarland Parkway, or Exit 12 in Forsyth County. Tree clearing work began in September, heavy construction is expected to begin in fall 2026 and the express lanes are slated to open in 2031.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gov. Kemp proposes $1.8 billion project to eliminate I-75 bottleneck
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