The northbound Georgia 400 shoulder lane from Webb Bridge Road to Windward Parkway closes permanently Dec. 13 for express lanes work. Four lanes stay open.

The flex lane on northbound Georgia 400 near Windward Parkway is closing permanently. The shoulder lane runs from just south of the Webb Bridge Road overpass to Exit 11, Windward Parkway, about three-quarters of a mile. It closes Sunday, Dec. 13, to make room for work on the Georgia 400 express lanes.

The City of Alpharetta posted the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) notice in a project update on Oct. 15. The notice says “the northbound SR 400 flex lane in this area will be permanently closed.”

What changes

The notice says crews will:

  • remove the flex lane’s signs and striping
  • put up a temporary concrete barrier wall along the shoulder

Four northbound travel lanes will stay open, the notice says. Drivers leaving at Windward Parkway will still reach the two-lane exit ramp from the right-hand lanes. Drivers going farther north should stay in the through lanes.

GDOT’s map of the closure marks the shoulder closed on both sides of the Webb Bridge Road overpass, between Old Milton Parkway and the Windward Parkway exit.

Why

The express lanes project adds toll lanes on Georgia 400 over 16 miles, from the North Springs MARTA station to about a mile north of McFarland Parkway. GDOT expects them to open in 2031, according to its project fact sheet (PDF). The notice gives construction for that project as the reason for the closure.

The notice does not say how long the barrier will stay or whether a shoulder lane returns when the express lanes open.

What it means for you

  • From Dec. 13, the extra lane is gone. If you use the shoulder lane on the way to Windward Parkway, plan on four lanes only. GDOT asked drivers to allow extra time while work continues.
  • Windward Parkway exit: move right early. The two-lane ramp is reached from the right lanes, not the shoulder.
  • Questions: the project hotline is 770-209-2520, or email 400expresslanes@dot.ga.gov. For live conditions, dial 511 or check 511ga.org.

Most Georgia 400 lane closures for the project are scheduled overnight, the city has said. Our road construction and closures page tracks the express lanes, the Old Milton Parkway widening and the Main Street widening week by week. For other ways to get around, see our getting around guide.