Weather permitting, all north and southbound lanes of I-285 will be shut down between Cascade Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., starting at 7 p.m. June 5 to 5 a.m. June 8.

State transportation officials are warning drivers to prepare for widespread gridlock as a complete weekend interstate shutdown blocks a critical Atlanta travel corridor.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says a new dedicated connecting lane system on I-20 westbound at the I-285 interchange opened Thursday morning.

Triple Team Traffic’s detours you need to know for the closure, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News This Morning from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Atlanta’s I-285 closure will frustrate drivers. But traffic jams often reflect crashes, emergencies or even good news, not just inconvenience.

Rebuilding I-285 requires closing a massive western section of the highway all weekend. Drivers should brace for major delays from Cascade Road to MLK Jr. Drive. Gridlock will ripple across side streets and the downtown connector through Monday morning.

A stretch of I-285 in southwest Atlanta between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Cascade Road reopened around 5 a.m. Monday, following a full weekend shutdown that sent traffic spilling through nearby neighborhoods and onto alternate routes across the metro area.