Honestly, if you’re planning to cruise through Atlanta this Saturday, January 17, 2026, without checking a map first, you’re basically asking for a headache. Between the massive MLK weekend events and GDOT’s never-ending appetite for orange cones, the city’s traffic pattern looks more like a bowl of spaghetti than a grid. You've probably heard that the Connector is a nightmare—it usually is—but today the real trouble spots are hiding on the surface streets and some very specific spots on I-285.
The thing is, most drivers just check the big interstates. They see green on the GPS and assume they’re golden. But today, "green" on the map doesn't account for the filming detours or the long-term sinkhole repairs that have turned Summerhill into a maze.
Major Atlanta Roads Closed Today for Construction and Repairs
The biggest headache for the Perimeter crowd today is the SR 400 Express Lanes project. Crews are out in force between Abernathy Road and SR 141, and they aren’t just doing minor touch-ups. They’ve got double inside or single outside lanes and shoulders closed in both directions for geotechnical investigations. This isn't just a "slow down" zone; it's a "prepare for a sudden merge" situation that’s going to back up traffic all the way to the I-285 interchange.
Speaking of the "Watermelon," keep an eye on I-285 near Powers Ferry and Raider Drive. GDOT has scheduled fiber installation there, which means traffic pacing. If you haven't experienced pacing, it's where HERO units basically create a rolling roadblock to slow everyone down to a crawl so crews can work safely. It’s better than a total closure, sure, but it'll still add twenty minutes to your trip if you hit it at the wrong time.
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Down in South Atlanta, the Georgia Avenue sinkhole is still the boss of the neighborhood. The road remains completely closed between Connally Street SE and Ami Street SE. This isn't a "today only" thing—this is a long-term battle against the earth opening up, and it’s going to stay closed for months. If you usually take Georgia Ave to get toward Center Parc Stadium, you’re going to need to divert to Memorial or University Ave.
The MLK Weekend Effect and Film Set Detours
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and that brings a specific kind of chaos to the Sweet Auburn area and Downtown. While the big parade usually takes over the streets on Monday, the prep work and local events are already starting to squeeze the roads. The Beloved Community Awards at the Hyatt Regency tonight means Peachtree Street is going to be a parking lot of rideshares and pedestrians starting around 4:00 PM.
And because this is "Yallywood," we’ve got cameras rolling. Jonesboro Road has been seeing closures between Lakewood Avenue and Sawtell Avenue for the filming of Chad Powers. They were scheduled to wrap the overnight stuff around 5:00 AM this morning, but as anyone who has worked on a set knows, those "wraps" often bleed into the morning commute.
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Street Level Closures to Watch
- 10th Street: Ongoing city construction has the stretch between Juniper Street and Piedmont Avenue restricted. If you're heading to Piedmont Park, just don't. Park further out and walk.
- Hank Aaron Drive: Still a mess due to the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) construction. The northbound lanes from McDonough Blvd to Milton Ave are basically off-limits.
- Pulliam Street: Closed between Washington Street and Atlanta Ave for layout changes that feel like they've been going on since the 90s.
Navigating the I-20 and I-285 Interchange Projects
If you're heading east, the I-20/I-285 East Interchange project in DeKalb County is where dreams of a fast commute go to die. We're looking at alternating double left- and right-lane closures between Panola Road and Wesley Chapel Road. GDOT is moving heavy equipment for bridge work, and they aren't playing around.
The westbound side of I-20 is especially touchy today. Between Fairington Road and Panola Road, the lane shifts are tight. I’ve seen enough people clip the concrete barriers there to tell you: put the phone down. The lanes are narrower than they look on your dashcam.
How to Actually Get Around
Look, Waze is great, but it sometimes misses the "local access only" signs that the City of Atlanta loves to pop up. If you're moving through the city today, your best bet is to stay on the "high" roads—the Interstates—as much as possible, despite the construction. The moment you try to "shortcut" through neighborhoods like Summerhill or Kirkwood today, you're going to hit a MARTA bus reroute or a filming crew.
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MARTA is actually a solid play today if you’re heading to the MLK events. Just keep in mind that the Gold and Red lines are on a 20-minute single-tracking schedule for maintenance. It beats sitting in a 40-minute jam on the Downtown Connector, but you’ve got to time it right.
Actionable Next Steps for Atlanta Drivers:
- Check 511GA.org before you turn the key. It's the only site that actually tracks the HERO pacing units in real-time.
- Avoid the SR 400/I-285 junction unless you absolutely have to be there; the geotechnical work is creating "phantom" traffic jams that appear and disappear.
- Use the Southside Industrial routes if you're trying to bypass the I-20 east closures; Moreland Ave to Constitution Rd can sometimes save you a 30-minute crawl.
- Watch for pedestrians near the Hyatt Regency and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights—crowds are heavy for the summit and awards today.