TIP Amendment has Dollars for I-75 Truck Lanes & Bethlehem Exit

The Atlanta Regional Commission is considering an amendment to the transportation improvement program (TIP). The TIP amendment 1 has increased funds for the I-75 truck lanes and Bethlehem Road exit.

The ARC is accepting public comments until April 19, 2024. They will consider adopting the amendment in May.

TIP Amendment 1

The transportation improvement program, or TIP, is a master project list for road and transit improvements. A project must be within the TIP to be eligible for federal transportation funds. The Atlanta Regional Commission maintains the list for metro Atlanta. They also oversee which projects receive federal funds.

The regional commission adopted the 2050 metro transportation plan in February 2024. Now, they are considering TIP amendment 1. The amendment has financial updates for large projects. The projects include the I-75 truck lanes and the future I-75 exit at Bethlehem Road. The amendment makes the following updates:

• I-75 Truck Lanes, total cost, from $2.172 billion to $2.218 billion, and
• Bethlehem Road interchange, total cost, from $119 million to $255 million.

The amendment also provides cost adjustments for the I-285 Express Lanes. The future mega-project will add express lanes onto the north half of I-285. Another express lanes project will construct managed lanes along Georgia 400 in North Fulton & Forsyth Counties. Altogether, the estimated costs for the express lanes are $24.1 billion dollars. A majority of construction funding for these projects will come from private bond financing.

Submit Your Public Comments

Residents in metro Atlanta may submit public comments about the TIP amendment. Historically, the ARC receives few, if any, comments on a TIP amendment. The public comment period is an opportunity for residents to express their support or opposition to the projects mentioned.

The ARC is accepting comments until April 19. Residents can submit comments via email at transportation [at] atlantaregional [dot] org. More info how to submit comments is on the ARC website.

Featured image shows the I-75 at Bethlehem Road concept. Georgia DOT photo.