Projects
Akers Mill
Ramp
Akers Mill Ramp
The newest access point for the I-75 NW Express Lanes System
Cumberland’s long-awaited access ramp officially opened on January 24, 2025, in the heart of one of metro Atlanta’s most dynamic districts. The Akers Mill Access Ramp now provides a direct connection from Akers Mill Road over I-75 to the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes—giving travelers a faster, safer, and more reliable way to get to move through the popular area.
The ramp spans nearly three-quarters of a mile, beginning approximately 400 feet south of the existing Akers Mill Bridge over I-75 and ending 275 feet south of the Windy Ridge Parkway Bridge. The innovative infrastructure includes a 24-foot-wide reversible lane, breakdown shoulders, and a barrier-separated entrance to the northbound managed lanes. It’s a dedicated access point that is already significantly improving traffic flow to and from local businesses, residential, cultural, entertainment, and sports destinations.
The project was led by the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) in partnership with the Cumberland CID, and reflects years of collaboration among state, regional, and local stakeholders committed to improving travel across this critical economic hub.
The completion of the Akers Mill Ramp immediately enhances connectivity throughout Atlanta’s fifth-largest job center, a booming cultural and economic destination all its own.
Benefits of the Ramp
100,000
The Ramp provides access into Cumberland for over 100,000 daily commuters.
Office Access
The Ramp serves six Class-A office towers in the Galleria Office Complex.
12 Access Points
The Ramp is the newest of 12 access points for the I-75 Northwest Express Lanes System.
Reversible
The Ramp is 24-feet wide for the reversible lanes plus break-down shoulders that widen to 50-feet at Akers Mill. It includes a barrier separated entrance to the northbound managed lanes.
Akers Mill Ramp Ribbon Cutting
The Cumberland CID celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 22, 2025, commemorating the event as a landmark achievement for the 3,700 businesses and 32,000 residents who call it home. Local leaders, alongside community members, marked the completion of a project that promises to re-energize daily commuters and reinforce Cumberland’s role as one of Georgia’s most important economic engines.
Funding Partners
The Akers Mill Ramp is a $44 million project that was a joint effort between many partners. See below sources of funding from each partner.
via waived fees
via INFRA
Project Location
After finalizing funding, construction began on the Akers Mill Ramp in the summer of 2021. The Ramp will complete the I-75 NW Express Lanes, one of the most successful infrastructure projects in Georgia’s history. It is scheduled to be open to the in 2023 providing direct, safe access for more than 100,000 daily commuters.
Completing the I-75 Northwest
Express Lanes System
As designed, drivers who wish to access the Express Lanes at the closest point in Cumberland are required to quickly maneuver four to five lane changes in I-75 traffic in a very short distance. Given I-75’s traffic volumes, this presents an unsafe condition. Drivers in search of a safer alternative are forced to drive to a different access point several miles to the north, south, east, or west of Cumberland, further hampering traffic conditions along the surface streets.
The Akers Mill Ramp will provide safe and direct access into the I-75 NW Express Lanes System.
“We have seen tremendous usage of the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes since their opening in 2018. One of our goals at the Georgia DOT is to ensure the projects we are completing improve safety for Georgia motorists. By creating this new access point, commuters will have a safer and more efficient way to access the Express Lanes system from the Cumberland area.”