Southbound GA-400 drivers heading for North Springs MARTA, Abernathy Road or Hammond Drive will use two new temporary ramps starting Saturday, Aug. 29, as the Georgia Department of Transportation closes the existing Exit 5 for the first phase of the SR 400 Express Lanes project.

Both ramps open Saturday.

According to GDOT project materials, one new exit will serve North Springs MARTA Station, located roughly 0.6 miles south of the current ramp. The other will serve Abernathy Road and Hammond Drive, about 1.1 miles south of today's exit. GDOT has labeled the temporary ramps 5A and 5B; drivers should follow posted signage to confirm which ramp leads to their destination.

GDOT said in its August 2026 project newsletter that access to all three destinations will remain available throughout construction. The agency urged motorists to slow down, follow posted signage and allow extra travel time as they adjust to the new traffic pattern.

The ramp swap is the first driver-facing change tied to the express lanes project, which broke ground in April and stretches 16 miles along the SR 400 corridor. Sandy Springs sits entirely within Segment A of the project and includes a sliver of the middle section, extending to the Chattahoochee River and the Roswell border.

Crews have been working day and night shifts along the corridor, with most scheduled lane closures so far occurring between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. In the Sandy Springs segment, workers are performing earthwork near Spalding Drive and Northridge Road and preparing for additional traffic shifts, according to GDOT's newsletter. Rough Draft Atlanta first reported the details of the Aug. 29 opening.

GDOT has not announced how long the temporary configuration will last or when a permanent ramp layout will be restored. The project is expected to wrap up in 2031.

Residents can sign up for construction updates through GDOT's SR 400 Express Lanes newsletter.