UPDATE [4:47 p.m.]: Interstates in Atlanta are open again, but what's left in the wake of the presidential motorcade is a mess.
President Donald Trump is getting ready to depart Dobbins Air Reserve Base after his daylong visit to Atlanta. I-75 North was reopened, but traffic delays are massive in the Cobb County area.
Backups stretch for 10 miles, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
UPDATE [4:20 p.m.]: President Donald Trump has finished speaking in downtown Atlanta and is preparing to make the trip to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.
The Downtown Connector north of I-20 has been closed for almost 20 minutes in preparation for his trip north on I-75 to Cobb County. Surface streets in Midtown are also feeling the effects of the roadblocks.
I-75 North and I-285 near the Cobb Cloverleaf will remain shut down until the president’s motorcade passes.
UPDATE [3:39 p.m.]: The vice president's motorcade has made the trek north on I-75 and has exited at Delk Road en route to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. He will be departing shortly.
The president continues to speak at the Georgia World Congress Center. The interstate will be shut down again when he departs for Dobbins.
UPDATE [3 p.m.]: The presidential motorcade has arrived at the Georgia World Congress Center and all Atlanta freeways are open again, although delays remain in those areas that were closed.
UPDATE [2:35 p.m.]: Ga. 400 is shut down again, along with Peachtree Road and Lenox Road, as President Donald Trump's motorcade leaves Buckhead en route to downtown Atlanta. I-85 South and the Downtown Connector will be closed shortly.
UPDATE [2:19 p.m.]: All Atlanta freeways are open again after Vice President Mike Pence's motorcade arrived at the Georgia World Congress Center. More delays expected later this afternoon.
UPDATE [2 p.m.]: Roads have begun reopening as the vice presidential motorcade travels to the Georgia World Congress Center.
The southbound lanes of I-75 and the eastbound lanes are I-285 are now open. Southbound Ga. 400 remains shut down, as does I-85 South before Ga. 400 and I-75 South before 17th Street, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
UPDATE [1:31 p.m.]: All southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector are shut down in advance of at least one motorcade's trip to the Georgia World Congress Center.
Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are set to speak at the launch of a black voter initiative at the downtown Atlanta conference center.
The event is the second scheduled in Atlanta on Friday after a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. David Purdue in Buckhead.
UPDATE [1:27 p.m.]: Vice President Mike Pence has arrived in Atlanta and is expected to join President Donald Trump at a black voter initiative downtown.
The vice presidential motorcade will take the same route from Dobbins Air Reserve Base to the Georgia World Congress Center. Roadblocks are now in place along I-75 South, I-285 and Ga. 400.
UPDATE [12:53 a.m.]: Traffic is flowing again on I-75, I-285 and Ga. 400 after the presidential motorcade rolled through.
President Donald Trump has arrived in Buckhead for a fundraising event at the Whitley Hotel. Drivers can expect road closures to continue on Lenox Road, but Peachtree Road has reopened, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
The ramp from Ga. 400 South to Lenox Road also remains shut down, the Traffic Center reported.
UPDATE [12:37 p.m.]: In Buckhead, Lenox Road is completely shut down east of Ga. 400 ahead of President Donald Trump's arrival.
Peachtree Road will also be shut down in the same area near Lenox Square, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
The president is expected at a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. David Purdue at the Whitley Hotel.
UPDATE [12:30 p.m.]: The Georgia State Patrol has begun rolling roadblocks along I-75 South ahead of the presidential motorcade.
Air Force One touched down at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta at 12:10 p.m. President Donald Trump has left the base and begun the trip south on I-75 to a fundraising event in Buckhead.
Roadblocks are also in place on U.S. 41, I-285 and Ga. 400 South between Cobb County and Buckhead. The roads should reopen about 10 to 15 minutes after the motorcade rolls through, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
UPDATE [11:30 a.m.]: Trump is expected to arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta within the hour.
After Air Force One touches down, the presidential motorcade is expected to travel on I-75 South on its way to Buckhead. Motorists should expect rolling road closures to begin imminently.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
ORIGINAL STORY: Metro Atlanta traffic could be tougher than usual to navigate Friday when the president rolls into town.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive Friday morning at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta to attend planned events in Buckhead and downtown Atlanta. Road closures are expected throughout the day as the presidential motorcade moves around the city.
LIVE UPDATES: Trump to arrive in Atlanta to raise cash, court black voters
The first event, a high-dollar fundraiser to support U.S. Sen. David Perdue, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at a hotel in Buckhead.
RELATED: What to know about President Trump's visit to Atlanta on Friday
Trump is hosting the event but Air Force One is not expected to land until just before noon. Motorists can expect rolling road closures along several major freeways when the president makes his way from Marietta into Buckhead, WSB traffic reporter Ashley Frasca said.
“Of course to go into Buckhead or even to the Downtown Connector, he's got to go I-75 South,” she said. “The Georgia State Patrol gets ahead of that and does a rolling road closure for his motorcade to go through. They will probably go I-75 South to I-85 North to Ga. 400.”
From there, the motorcade is expected to travel to the Georgia World Congress Center, where the president will launch the Black Voices for Trump Coalition initiative at 3 p.m.
MORE: Trump to launch new black voter initiative from downtown Atlanta
“The bull’s-eye is on the Downtown Connector,” Frasca said. “I-75/85 north- and southbound will be impacted just at the beginning of the afternoon rush hour, so that’s going to be a mess. Folks need to avoid downtown.”
There could also be delays on surface streets as one group plans to protest. The group is encouraging protesters to meet at the Centennial Olympic Park amphitheater at 2 p.m., ahead of Trump’s arrival.
Vice President Mike Pence is also set to address the crowd at the convention center after arriving at Dobbins at 1:15 p.m.
More road closures are expected when both politicians’ motorcades leave downtown Atlanta and head back toward Dobbins. The exact route the caravans will take was not announced.
Frasca suggested those going home to Cobb County after work Friday should use the express lanes and avoid I-75 North.
In all, there is the potential for four to six different periods of road closures over several hours Friday, traffic reporter Doug Turnbull said. Travel inside I-285 will be especially rough from the lunch hour through the afternoon drive.
“This confluence of dual motorcades and the normal Friday grind makes this Friday a great day to telework or take MARTA,” he said.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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