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Neighborhoods Around I-85 Overpass See ‘No Thru Traffic’ Signs

April 14th, 2017

More and more signs are popping up in neighborhoods near Atlanta’s Interstate 85 overpass collapse site that say “No Thru Traffic During I-85 Closure.”

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“The neighborhood streets were definitely not designed to accommodate the heavy traffic volume and the weight of some of these vehicles that would normally try to go through those streets,” Atlanta’s Public Works Commissioner Will Johnson said.

He said neighborhood streets often have children playing in them, which can make it dangerous for cars to rush through them.

Susanna Roberts lives in Morningside, a neighborhood near the I-85 overpass collapse site. She said the signs aren’t very effective.

“Even though there’s signs that say ‘No Cut Through During the I-85 Construction’ it’s still more. And I get it, everybody’s trying to get where they’re going, but it’s just the speed and everybody’s got to slow down a bit,” Roberts says.

So do people get penalized for driving through neighborhoods, even if there’s a “No Thru Traffic” sign?

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said these signs are more of a suggestion.

“Really, we’re just trying to discourage folks from using it, or, if they have to go through, to be mindful of these are residential areas with children around. We only have the capacity to manage so much, and the reality of it is, the traffic has to go somewhere,” Shields said.

She said that if drivers block the box, however, they’ll definitely get a ticket.