Is Your Commute About to Change? What Georgia’s $1.8B I-75 Plan Means for Suburbs

Is Your Commute About to Change? A Neighborhood Guide to Georgia’s $1.8B I-75 Plan

Hook: If you live, work, or search for homes in Atlanta’s southern suburbs, you may be one lane — or one toll — away from a very different daily commute. Governor Brian Kemp’s early-2026 proposal to spend $1.8 billion on new toll express lanes along Interstate 75 targets a 12-mile chokepoint through Clayton and Henry counties. That sounds like macro infrastructure news, but the real questions for homeowners and renters are local: which corridors will change, how will travel times shift, will people still choose to drive, and what does this mean for property values in your neighborhood?

Top takeaway (inverted pyramid):

The I-75 proposal will most directly affect southern Atlanta suburbs adjacent to the 12-mile reversible-lane segment in Clayton and Henry counties. Expect shorter peak-direction travel times on tolled lanes for drivers willing to pay, temporary construction disruptions, mixed effects on property values (accessibility up, noise and toll costs down for some buyers), and pressure on local planners to provide transit and neighborhood-level mitigation. You should prepare now — monitor project maps, test alternate routes, and evaluate housing choices using commute-time simulations.

What Governor Kemp proposed (and why it matters now)

On January 16, 2026, Georgia’s governor announced a plan to add an express toll lane in each direction along 12 miles of I-75 through Clayton and Henry counties — an area already served by reversible lanes today. The state argues this will expand throughput and support economic growth for the Atlanta metro, which has seen congestion rebound strongly since the pandemic-era dips.

“These issues are also undermining our economic development prospects, with business leaders questioning whether their workers will want to live and commute in that environment. When it comes to traffic congestion, we can’t let our competitors have the upper hand.” — Gov. Brian Kemp (Insurance Journal, Jan 16, 2026)

Why 2026 is different: late-2025 traffic data and early-2026 planning show a sustained rise in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), renewed demand for highway capacity, and growing political support for toll-based solutions rather than solely public-transit expansions. At the same time, technology advances — dynamic tolling, connected vehicle trials, and better real-time trip planning — make lane-based tolling more viable and monetizable than in the last decade.

Which commuter corridors and neighborhoods could change?

The project’s 12-mile focus pinpoints the most immediate local impacts. Use this localized breakdown to identify if your block will feel it:

• Main corridor: I-75 through Clayton County and Henry County — the existing reversible express-lane stretch is the foundation for adding full-time toll express lanes in each direction.
• Key interchanges likely affected: Major connector ramps that feed commuters to and from I-75 — those that see peak directional surges and have limited shoulder space — will be recalibrated. Expect phased work at interchange bottlenecks, including lane reconfiguration, ramp metering, and temporary lane closures.
• Suburbs to watch: Areas immediately adjacent to the corridor — including parts of Forest Park, Riverdale, College Park, Jonesboro, Stockbridge, Morrow, and McDonough — will see the most direct access changes and construction disruption. Farther-out suburbs that feed I-75 commuters (southern Henry County and northern portions of Spalding and Butts counties) could see regional traffic pattern shifts.

Local micro-impacts

• Park-and-ride and parkway arterials: Ramps and collector-distributor roads near new toll access points may be widened or repurposed — changing how neighborhood streets absorb spillover traffic.
• Transit connections: Bus routes that parallel I-75 or use feeder roads could receive route changes, priority treatments, or new park-and-ride hubs to integrate with express lanes.
• Construction staging areas: Expect temporary closures on local cross streets where contractors stage materials and equipment.

How travel times and transport choices may change

Understanding the real commuting effects requires separating short-term (construction) and medium/long-term (operational) outcomes.

Short-term: 1–3 years (construction and detours)

• Delays and detours: Staged construction generally causes periodic lane reductions and slower speeds. Peak-direction delays can rise temporarily as crews build shoulders, medians, and toll infrastructure.
• Local road stress: Residential and arterial streets near interchanges may see increased local traffic as drivers avoid construction zones. Residents should prepare for noise, dust, and changed bus schedules.

Medium-term: 3–7 years (toll lanes open and behavior adjusts)

• Toll express lanes deliver faster, more reliable trips for paying users: Expect reduced peak travel times in the tolled lanes versus general-purpose lanes. Typical improvements on comparable U.S. express-lane projects range from 10–30% faster peak-direction travel for toll users — though results depend on toll pricing and demand.
• Active mode and transit choices: Without complementary transit investments, express lanes mainly benefit drivers. However, jurisdictions often add bus services that can use express lanes, improving regional transit commute times if implemented.
• Induced demand risk: New lane capacity can attract additional trips (induced demand), which may erode some congestion benefits in general-purpose lanes over time unless combined with demand-management measures.

Long-term: 7–15 years (land-use and mobility evolution)

• Integrated mobility: By 2030, expect wider use of dynamic tolling, employer-provided commuter benefits tied to toll accounts, and increased use of real-time routing apps that build toll cost into trip decisions.
• Autonomous and shared vehicles: Express lanes are often the first place promising roadway automation and higher-capacity shared services — making these lanes attractive for future mobility providers.

What this could mean for local real estate values

Infrastructure upgrades change accessibility, and accessibility changes value. But the effect is rarely uniform.

Positive value drivers

• Better access to jobs: Faster, more predictable drives to major employment centers tend to raise demand for nearby housing — especially for buyers choosing suburban living for price and yard space.
• Potential for new amenity clusters: Improved interchanges and park-and-ride facilities can spark retail and light commercial development near exits, making neighborhoods more desirable.

Negative or mixed value drivers

• Noise and air quality: Proximity to a widened highway can lower desirability for properties immediately adjacent to the right-of-way unless mitigated by sound walls, buffers, and landscaping.
• Toll cost perception: Some buyers discount the value of improved access if a reliable daily commute now requires toll payments; affordability-sensitive renters may seek housing farther out or closer to transit.
• Uneven benefits: Neighborhoods with better local connectivity to express-lane access points will likely capture gains; those separated by limited interchange access may not.

How big could the change be?

Local market studies often find value impacts in the low single digits to low double digits percentage-wise, depending on distance to the improved corridor and the balance of accessibility versus disamenity. For example, homes within a 5–10 minute drive of a newly reliable corridor can outcompete similar properties farther away, while houses directly beside expansion footprints may see smaller or negative effects until mitigation arrives. For investors and buyers, this means location detail matters: two blocks can separate a buyer who benefits from the project from one who is burdened by it.

Construction impacts to plan for — and how to limit them

Construction is a certainty; unmanaged impacts are not. Here’s what to expect and how neighborhoods can respond.

• Timeline: Major multi-lane highway expansions typically require phased work spanning 3–6 years for a 12-mile corridor, depending on utility relocation, right-of-way, and environmental permitting.
• Noise, dust, and access changes: Contractors use staging areas and temporary traffic controls. Homeowners should prepare for occasional heavy-equipment noise and lane shifts.
• Mitigation steps: Advocate for construction-hour limits, community liaisons, truck-route planning to keep heavy loads off small neighborhood streets, and timely signage for detours.

Actionable steps for homeowners, renters, buyers, and local businesses

Don’t wait for headlines. Use this checklist tailored to different roles so you can act now.

For commuters

1. Run a commute simulation: Use Google Maps, Waze, and employer trip-planning tools to simulate toll-lane scenarios (set varying toll costs) to see how your cost-time tradeoffs change.
2. Test drive alternative routes: Time alternate drives during peak flow to identify persistent backups that tolls won’t help.
3. Explore employer commuter benefits: Ask HR about pre-tax commuter accounts or toll reimbursements to offset new costs.

For homeowners and buyers

1. Map proximity precisely: Don’t rely on town names alone. Measure actual drive times and walk distances to proposed access points and staging areas.
2. Factor in toll costs: If your daily route will run on express lanes, include toll fees in your long-term housing affordability calculation.
3. Negotiate with context: Sellers and buyers should use planned construction timelines and expected mitigation (sound walls, landscaping) in negotiations. Buyers can request inspection of noise studies and mitigation schedules.

For landlords and property managers

1. Communicate early: Notify tenants about construction schedules and expected impacts. Offer flexible lease renewals if noise or access becomes a problem.
2. Invest in mitigation: Small investments in higher-rated windows, landscaping buffers, and signage can protect rents and reduce vacancy risk while construction is active.

For local businesses

1. Plan logistics: Coordinate deliveries during off-peak hours and secure alternate access plans during major ramp work.
2. Market access gains: If your business benefits from improved access, update local marketing to highlight shorter drive times and new customer catchment areas.

How planners and community groups can shape outcomes

Infrastructure is not destiny — it’s negotiable. Local civic groups can influence outcomes by working with GDOT and county planners on:

• Mitigation commitments: Sound walls, landscaping, air-monitoring, and truck routing.
• Transit integration: Demand dedicated bus lanes or express-bus access into tolled lanes to spread benefits across income groups.
• Land-use safeguards: Zoning tools to avoid strip development and promote walkable, mixed-use nodes near interchanges.

Future trends and predictions (2026–2030)

These are the trends most likely to shape how the I-75 project plays out over the next five years.

• More tolls, not fewer: States leaning on user-fee financing will continue to expand dynamic tolling to manage congestion and pay debt on infrastructure projects.
• Integrated mobility platforms: Expect apps that combine toll prices, transit fares, and microtransit options into single trip decisions — changing how commuters weigh cost vs. time.
• Equity pressures: Federal and state guidance (and local advocacy) will push for low-income transit access strategies to offset toll burdens.
• Smart infrastructure adoption: Connected vehicle pilots and sensors in express lanes will improve real-time reliability and safety, attracting premium services such as express shuttles.

Questions to ask at the next public meeting

Show up informed. Bring these questions to the GDOT or county public meetings to get specifics for your block:

• Exact project limits and right-of-way maps for our neighborhood.
• Construction phasing and lane-closure schedules for peak commute periods.
• Projected toll levels, price-setting methodology, and HOV/express-bus exemptions.
• Noise and air-quality studies, and timelines for mitigation works like sound walls.
• Plans to integrate transit (bus access to express lanes) or create park-and-ride hubs.

Practical checklist: 10 things to do this month if you live near I-75

1. Confirm whether your property lies inside the project’s preliminary right-of-way maps.
2. Subscribe to GDOT and county construction alert lists and local municipal newsletters.
3. Run commute-time scenarios including a toll premium to understand your cost/time tradeoff.
4. Attend the next project public hearing and record the minutes for neighborhood distribution.
5. Talk to your employer about commuter benefits and remote-work flexibility.
6. Review recent sales for properties within a 10-minute drive of proposed access points.
7. Request your county planner’s timeline for zoning reviews near interchanges.
8. Ask property insurers and mortgage lenders about construction-risk disclosures and potential appraisal effects.
9. Explore short-term measures like white-noise landscaping and upgraded windows if you live closest to the highway.
10. Join or start a neighborhood coalition to coordinate with local officials on mitigation priorities.

Bottom line

Governor Kemp’s $1.8B plan is a regional-level solution with profoundly local consequences. For commuters, it will likely mean a new cost-versus-time equation and temporary construction pain. For homeowners and investors, it creates both upside — improved access and potential value gains — and downsides — noise, toll costs, and bidirectional market impacts depending on proximity. The net effect for any specific street depends on exact distance to access points, local mitigation, and whether transit and land-use planners seize the opportunity to balance the benefits.

Call to action

If you live or search for housing near I-75’s southern corridor, don’t wait. Sign up for project alerts from the Georgia Department of Transportation, attend the next public meeting, and use commute-simulation tools to model the personal cost/time trade-off before buying or renting. Visit your local borough.info page to get the latest maps, community meeting dates, and a neighborhood-specific impact checklist we update as the project moves through planning and construction. Your next home decision should be based on data — and on a plan vetted by your neighbors.

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