Metro Atlanta commuters hoping for relief from some of the world's worst traffic have found it in an unlikely source – the coronavirus outbreak.
The Georgia Department of Transportation reports a dramatic reduction in traffic Tuesday vs. a typical weekday on many of the region’s major highways. Depending on the corridor, volumes were down as much as 50 percent compared to a typical weekday.
Traffic volumes on southbound I-75 in Cobb County were down 15 to 20 percent during morning rush hour, said GDOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale. Traffic on the eastbound Perimeter between Ga. 400 and I-20 was down 20 to 25 percent.
Traffic volumes were down 15 to 20 percent on I-75 northbound in Henry County, 30 to 35 percent on southbound Ga. 400 and 30 to 50 percent on I-20 westbound coming into the city.
Maybe eeriest of all: The average speed on the Downtown Connector was 60 mph.
“We are experiencing zero congestion during rush hour,” Dale said. “But Gwinnett is a bit of an anomaly.”
In fact, traffic on I-85 south was higher than normal. Dale could offer no explanation.
But it’s clear that folks who do have to venture out on metro Atlanta highways are catching a break. All it took was a pandemic and a grinding halt to some sectors of the economy.
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