The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) State Transportation Board has approved selection of the apparent best value proposer for the I-285/I-20 West Interchange project (P.I. No. 0013918), one of the Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) projects west of Atlanta. Legacy Infrastructure Contractors was named the apparent successful proposer and awarded the
$1.248 billion contract to complete final design and construction, allowing this Public Private Partnership (P3) to move forward.

Georgia DOT used a best-value procurement method for the Design-Build-Finance project, which scores both technical approach and financial proposals. The selected private sector partner will reconstruct this heavily traveled interchange currently ranked as one of the most congested nationally.

“We’re excited to start the next phase of this project, which will improve safety for motorists and freight along this interchange ranked the fifth-worst truck bottleneck in the country by the American Transportation Research Institute,” Georgia DOT Project Manager Matthew Fowler said. "As part of Georgia's Freight Plan, this project is a great opportunity to alleviate congestion and enhance safety for all users."

The I-285/I-20 West Interchange limits begin along I-20, from the Factory Shoals Road overpass to the Hamilton E. Holmes Drive interchange, for six miles. Along I-285, the project begins just south of the Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway interchange and ends at the MLK, Jr. Drive interchange, for two miles. The project will reconstruct and widen several interstate system-to-system ramps and add a combination of collector-distributor/connecting lanes and auxiliary lanes along I-20 west and I-285 north of the interchange.

Proposed improvements to the interchange include:

• Removal of left-hand ramp entrance and exit ramps from interchange

• Improve geometric design and vertical grades

• Construct two-lane ramps within the interchange

• Construct westbound collector-distributor lanes, or connecting lanes, from I-285/I-20 West Interchange to Fulton Industrial Boulevard

• Add lanes along I-20 from Factory Shoals Road to Hamilton E. Holmes Drive

• Add lanes along I-285 from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway south to MLK Jr. Drive to accommodate interchange improvements

Modify/replace bridge structures and ramps in interchange and along I-20 including those over the Fulton County Railway (CSX RR) and the Chattahoochee River

The project has been in development since 2018, beginning soon after the MMIP was announced. Robust stakeholder and public engagement have taken place including accepting official public comment on the project in September 2020, November/December 2022, and an executive summary comment period in June 2024.

Georgia DOT anticipates construction start in 2025. The project’s substantial completion is expected in 2030. The schedule is subject to change.

Legacy Infrastructure Contractors, LLC, consists of C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc., as the lead construction contractor and Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering, PLLC, as lead engineering firm. The Executive Summary of their proposal indicated that the team successfully maintains its important position in the Georgia transportation market by training local talent and building large, quality projects in-state and nationally.

Additional information about the I-285/I-20 West Interchange project can be found at https://0013918-gdot.hub.arcgis.com/. Further information about Georgia DOT’s MMIP projects can be accessed at https://majormobilityga.com/

Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs, and maintains Georgia’s state and federal highways. We’re involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike, and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability, and mobility. The department’s vision is to boost Georgia’s competitiveness through leadership in transportation. Visit www.dot.ga.gov. Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GeorgiaDOT) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/gadeptoftrans).