I live in Marietta and work for an IT managed services provider, so I cross through this interchange fairly often. The years have had me on every ramp. I was surprised to see this much traffic on a Sunday in the video. Great piece of work! Thanks for all the driving and work to put these together. The sign pictures are a nice addition and I always love your choice of music!
Well done! I have driven this interchange on a daily basis and I’ve never stopped marveling at its intricacies and at its simplicities. I’ve driven over every bridge on it, my favorite being the highest span that takes you from a northern service road to I-85 south. Winter time and ice are always a hazard and I’ve seen countless signs of vehicle scrapes on the side barriers of the bridges. Fortunately, I’ve never been stuck in traffic on it for any great length of time, a testament to its planning.
This is just awesome, the ramps, C/D lanes, all that is just impressive. Yes, it can take a ton of time, driving, and filming to do this video, but at the end it really shows how great this interchange is. The traffic was heavy, but it looked like there were no jams or problems.
Kinda interesting watching videos like these. Seeing all these different people in all these different cars going all these different places living their different, individual lives, all to meet potentially just once in that moment of time in Atlanta. You usually don't think like that during your daily commute. I usually only do when I look above and see an airplane tens of thousands of feet above me, with the hundred or so people on board going who knows where... `~`
BKofficer23 In this video it was a Sony HDR-HC9 camcorder but in my newer (2013-2014) videos I upgraded to a Sony HDR-JP710, the difference is remarkable.
Hey there !!! I’ve really enjoyed watching your Atlanta freeway videos !!! I was born & raised in and around the Atlanta area where I lived my entire life . So needless to say,I am well familiar how crazy these drivers can possibly be ,you know? Oh and I am well familiar with these roads and how bad the traffic can be, especially during rush hour . I was born in Marietta, then moved to Douglasville,an Atlanta suburb 25 miles west of Atlanta. where I lived for about 30 yrs. Still have family there in East GA .east of Atlanta ). Keep up these great videos-makes me feel like I’m back at home again. so many thumbs up and make more of these Atlanta freeway videos. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
That's one hell of an interchange. I've only been to Atlanta three times. Twice driving through in the dead of night (harder to appreciate those interchanges) and once flying in. I'd love to take a chance to drive some of those freeways some time.... although perhaps not during the infamous Atlanta rush hour.
Ah, home. This was the first video of yours I watched and its awesome I can go back and watch this from the other side of the world, thanks for sharing your hobby.
Man, this was just flat out awesome. To be honest, I never realized just how expansive that interchange really is, until watching this. I never even noticed all the extra feeder-C/D lanes, while driving thru it a few times in 2009. I think after watching this, I'd say this is more impressive than the El Toro "Y" interchange. Definitely an engineering marvel for its time. That song was bad as hell too; going to download it right now. Favorited!
Midnight Express, what a great movie! And a great theme! You did a colossal work with this video. It must've taken you a long time. Thanks for the tour.
I mentioned this in the live chat not long ago. I was compelled to look at this again after awhile. It's a masterful video and the one fascinating thing about the interchange is that each ramp connects to other ramps and vice versa. But again, it was great work!
i havent been in the atl in about 6yers ive drove threw the junction many times , thank u 4 the video it beings back many good times i had going out on the ramp .
Thanks for this! Reminds me of my days living in Atlanta. I miss it sometimes. I loved driving on 85 and 285. You drive just like I do, lol, zig zagging in every lane!
***** I used to think the motorcycle riders on 85 had suicidal tendencies too! It seemed they always passed me like I was standing still, not the other way around! You used to live not too far from where I lived when I first moved there. I lived above the Peachtree-Dunwoody exit off 285 about 1 mile from Perimeter mall. The Concourse towers were almost in my back yard, very close. Any time I went to the store or to get stuff, I headed toward Roswell road. Lots of shopping centers and restaurants there.
Was also going to say, sometimes I miss Atlanta and want to go back and visit. But I think it would feel really weird to go back. Still, the first thing I'd do is head to the Varsity for a chili/cheese/slaw dog with rings!
***** Is Burlington Coat Factory gone now? I used to love going to Lettuce Souprise You which was across the street, right off Hammond before Roswell. I probably wouldn't even recognize the place now it's been so long. I saw on Google maps where they boarded up the Varsity Junior between Emory and Buckhead :( That's the one I used to go to.
@jcrockett001 Great questions. The places I'd like to film next are all on the west coast since I have never been there. The High Five in Dallas is the #1 interchange by far, 2-5 are negotiable. My 5 best videos, wow, i 'm not really sure.
@Themadfarter1976 South Cobb is no walk in the park either. I'd like to see the C/D lanes from exit 105 to 109 extended south to I-285, they really do help keep traffic flowing.
Very interesting tour. Why don't you make such tours on other big and complicated interchanges like some in NYC, NJ, LA, which might even be more interesting, as right and left turns and generally different routes would be of different kind altogether.
@LeonMoutch Time would be a big factor on doing these, plus I only do them for really unique and exceptional interchanges. These videos are the exception, not the rule for me but I may do one more in a different city later this year.
That interchange will be seen in next monday's video but I have not had the opportunity to do a 360 of it. traffic conditions would have to be ideal for that as it would take quite a while to get all those ramps.
I was stuck stopped right under the lowest part of that interchange on anti-clockwise bound I-285 for over an hour due to a traffic accident ahead of me during my 2004 roadtrip. Lots of time to get out, stretch, socialize with the neighbors, listen to tunes on the iPod, etc. :-p
Thank you so much. This is what I've been searching for. Lived here my entire life, but I always wanted to know what streets/ramps/connectors there were!
All my life that I lived here in Atlanta I still haven't went through Spaghetti Junction. And that song I heard it on a radio or movie can't remember sounds good.
@racsito39 Three Digit interstates are auxiliary routes of two digit interstates, like beltways around a city (like I-285), by-passes and spurs, do a google search to learn more, there are plenty of places that explain this in more detail.
@Freewayjim We have one in New Jersey called The Newark Airport Interchange just north of Newark Liberty International Airport where I-95/NJ Turnpike, I-78, US 1-9, US 22, and NJ State Highway Rt. 21 all come together.
@LeonMoutch One I'd really like to do is the I-787/US-9/20 interchange in Albany, but getting up there with the time needed to do a tour like this is another story.
@Pikachu25sci90vt @Pikachu25sci90vt Thanks, There are two 4-Level stacks on the Baltimore Beltway if that's what you are talking about? and if so I have them both on other videos.
There's a good interchange with two high beam bridges heading towards I-95 up to Maryland. But I can't remember what the name of that one is. Do you know which one I'm talking about? Btw, nice vid.
Amazing work, Jim! That's crazy that it took over two hours for you to film all of this footage from one interchange. If you don't mind, where does this one (interchange) rank among your favorites, and could you possibly give your top 5 or so best?
Thanks Mike, it probably doesn't make the top 10 compared to what I've seen around the country but it will always be a sentimental favorite because I got to see it being built as I learned to drive in that mess of construction.
An area I know all too well. I reside 2 hrs south in Dublin, Georgia. It's that exit from 75 to get on 85 that gets me every time. It's the left exit that has a nasty right hand switchback. I nearly learned that exit the hard way.its not easy having to brake from 70 down to 15. I personally don't see how they even maneuver it.
@aijunk2 I drive an Acura TL with a lot of miles on it. (never understood the interest in what I drive but I get the question a lot). I just try to keep my eyes open to what's around me, I had 3 close calls while filming this video, none were my fault. Yeah, it can get crazy out there.
I live maybe 2 or 3 miles away. I know every hump,bump,crack and hobo un the area. I love it though,perfect for work. I can leave in the morning and head north and work my way back home.No traffic most of the time.
So far, out of all of your videos, in general, what are your top 5? Out of all of the interchanges that you have experienced in your videos, what are your top 5? And what 5 places would you like to film next?
@racsito39 In reply to: What means "Exit Only", why not put just "Exit".; What that means is once one is in that lane they have to exit, and often there is no return ramp in the opposite direction.
I go through it everyday, did you go through it at rush hour? It is INSANE during rush hour, mostly going from 285 East to 85 North. Don't want to see it then, half of I-285 is either bumper to bumper stand still, or just barely crawling.
Thank you, I could add that but I think it would make the video too busy to follow, that's already a lot going on with the footage and signs and quickly changing clips.
I know why the retaining walls on the ramp from I-285 South-Inner to I-85 North get smacked a lot. There's some funky geometry in that ramp and it has an odd gravity pull. If you're not careful, you can lose control and whap! I mean, the walls are right on top of you there.
I live in Marietta and work for an IT managed services provider, so I cross through this interchange fairly often. The years have had me on every ramp. I was surprised to see this much traffic on a Sunday in the video.
Great piece of work! Thanks for all the driving and work to put these together. The sign pictures are a nice addition and I always love your choice of music!
Well done! I have driven this interchange on a daily basis and I’ve never stopped marveling at its intricacies and at its simplicities. I’ve driven over every bridge on it, my favorite being the highest span that takes you from a northern service road to I-85 south. Winter time and ice are always a hazard and I’ve seen countless signs of vehicle scrapes on the side barriers of the bridges. Fortunately, I’ve never been stuck in traffic on it for any great length of time, a testament to its planning.
Thank you very much!
This is just awesome, the ramps, C/D lanes, all that is just impressive. Yes, it can take a ton of time, driving, and filming to do this video, but at the end it really shows how great this interchange is. The traffic was heavy, but it looked like there were no jams or problems.
Kinda interesting watching videos like these. Seeing all these different people in all these different cars going all these different places living their different, individual lives, all to meet potentially just once in that moment of time in Atlanta. You usually don't think like that during your daily commute. I usually only do when I look above and see an airplane tens of thousands of feet above me, with the hundred or so people on board going who knows where... `~`
Interesting perspective.
Freewayjim By the way, what kind of camera do you use?
BKofficer23 In this video it was a Sony HDR-HC9 camcorder but in my newer (2013-2014) videos I upgraded to a Sony HDR-JP710, the difference is remarkable.
Thanks, Freewayjim.
SBKofficer23
Awesome job! 101 miles to record it, amazing! It truly is an engineering marvel. Loved the newspapers in the beginning of the video.
Hey there !!! I’ve really enjoyed watching your Atlanta freeway videos !!! I was born & raised in and around the Atlanta area where I lived my entire life . So needless to say,I am well familiar how crazy these drivers can possibly be ,you know? Oh and I am well familiar with these roads and how bad the traffic can be, especially during rush hour . I was born in Marietta, then moved to Douglasville,an Atlanta suburb 25 miles west of Atlanta. where I lived for about 30 yrs. Still have family there in East GA .east of Atlanta ). Keep up these great videos-makes me feel like I’m back at home again. so many thumbs up and make more of these Atlanta freeway videos. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you very much for the comment and for watching!
GREAT JOB!!! the transitions where great in the video..
I liked the effects and the road data was superb..
Keep up the good work.
That's one hell of an interchange. I've only been to Atlanta three times. Twice driving through in the dead of night (harder to appreciate those interchanges) and once flying in. I'd love to take a chance to drive some of those freeways some time.... although perhaps not during the infamous Atlanta rush hour.
Awesome
Ah, home.
This was the first video of yours I watched and its awesome I can go back and watch this from the other side of the world, thanks for sharing your hobby.
Thank you very much!
Man, this was just flat out awesome. To be honest, I never realized just how expansive that interchange really is, until watching this. I never even noticed all the extra feeder-C/D lanes, while driving thru it a few times in 2009. I think after watching this, I'd say this is more impressive than the El Toro "Y" interchange. Definitely an engineering marvel for its time. That song was bad as hell too; going to download it right now. Favorited!
Midnight Express, what a great movie! And a great theme! You did a colossal work with this video. It must've taken you a long time. Thanks for the tour.
I mentioned this in the live chat not long ago. I was compelled to look at this again after awhile. It's a masterful video and the one fascinating thing about the interchange is that each ramp connects to other ramps and vice versa. But again, it was great work!
Thank you, I may have to re-do this someday with the good camera.
Loved these types of videos! Have you thought of doing one for another complex interchange some day?
Thanks, these types of videos are quite challenging to do but I do have this one from Dallas. ruclips.net/video/4-qX2yYGqGk/видео.html
Good selection of music on this one. Like your style.
i havent been in the atl in about 6yers ive drove threw the junction many times , thank u 4 the video it beings back many good times i had going out on the ramp .
Thanks for this! Reminds me of my days living in Atlanta. I miss it sometimes. I loved driving on 85 and 285. You drive just like I do, lol, zig zagging in every lane!
***** I used to think the motorcycle riders on 85 had suicidal tendencies too! It seemed they always passed me like I was standing still, not the other way around! You used to live not too far from where I lived when I first moved there. I lived above the Peachtree-Dunwoody exit off 285 about 1 mile from Perimeter mall. The Concourse towers were almost in my back yard, very close. Any time I went to the store or to get stuff, I headed toward Roswell road. Lots of shopping centers and restaurants there.
Was also going to say, sometimes I miss Atlanta and want to go back and visit. But I think it would feel really weird to go back. Still, the first thing I'd do is head to the Varsity for a chili/cheese/slaw dog with rings!
***** And don't forget that fried peach pie!
***** Is Burlington Coat Factory gone now? I used to love going to Lettuce Souprise You which was across the street, right off Hammond before Roswell. I probably wouldn't even recognize the place now it's been so long. I saw on Google maps where they boarded up the Varsity Junior between Emory and Buckhead :( That's the one I used to go to.
***** I'll have to google the Hammond/Roswell intersection just to see what's there now.
@jcrockett001 Great questions. The places I'd like to film next are all on the west coast since I have never been there. The High Five in Dallas is the #1 interchange by far, 2-5 are negotiable. My 5 best videos, wow, i 'm not really sure.
@0marigolds Thanks, it was a lot of work, probably the most I've ever put in to a video, glad you joyed it :)
@FreewayAndrew Thanks! Yes traffic was heavier than I anticipated for just a Sunday afternoon.
@aswchris Thanks, glad I kept those all these years.
That spaghetti junction used to be at Duluth. Which we always saw that but now in 2023/2024, we don’t see the spaghetti junction much.
@Themadfarter1976 South Cobb is no walk in the park either. I'd like to see the C/D lanes from exit 105 to 109 extended south to I-285, they really do help keep traffic flowing.
Very interesting tour. Why don't you make such tours on other big and complicated interchanges like some in NYC, NJ, LA, which might even be more interesting, as right and left turns and generally different routes would be of different kind altogether.
@LeonMoutch Time would be a big factor on doing these, plus I only do them for really unique and exceptional interchanges. These videos are the exception, not the rule for me but I may do one more in a different city later this year.
@bmbsage Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I still remember when going to the Cobb county area the support poles in place but no actual ramps for many trips
Awesome. Next time you're in the DC area, can you do a 360 of the Springfield Interchange? (I-495, I-95, I-395 etc.)
That interchange will be seen in next monday's video but I have not had the opportunity to do a 360 of it. traffic conditions would have to be ideal for that as it would take quite a while to get all those ramps.
Such a cool video! Would it be okay if I used a short clip of this (4 seconds) in a tiktok and gave you credit?
Yes, sure thing, thank you for asking.
@rickhh1 Good question! I did not keep track of the time but I can tell you without a doubt, longer than I had worked on any other video.
OH YEAH....I'm gonna ride this today!!! Thanks for the awesome video...I'm gonna post it on my Facebook!
@ngtflyer Thank you very much! I though the traffic was heavier than usual too.
This what I call a Marvel for a highway interchange. You should see the Springfield Interchange in Virginia.
good work. Been a long time fan.
Jim, that was an epic!!! Your best yet IMHO. Damn!!! :)
I go through or near it almost every day, yeah it's crazy at rush hour.
Driving in Atlanta must be fun at times and at other times it must want to make you pull your hair out ..
Yes and yes!
It’s fun at 3 am, and hell on earth at 3 pm.
great vid; great music the best !!
I was stuck stopped right under the lowest part of that interchange on anti-clockwise bound I-285 for over an hour due to a traffic accident ahead of me during my 2004 roadtrip. Lots of time to get out, stretch, socialize with the neighbors, listen to tunes on the iPod, etc.
:-p
I find it weird that the 5th level of this stack consists of a lone NE-to-SW ramp passing over everything.
Thank you so much. This is what I've been searching for. Lived here my entire life, but I always wanted to know what streets/ramps/connectors there were!
Thank you, glad I could help :)
I agree!
Thanks, you should check out my Dallas & Houston videos, they are even bigger there.
All my life that I lived here in Atlanta I still haven't went through Spaghetti Junction. And that song I heard it on a radio or movie can't remember sounds good.
How have you escaped Spaghetti junction?? You must've taken back roads I guess!
No I just don't go up north of Atlanta it's either South Fulton, DeKalb County, and Clayton County. I know my way around those areas
Santwone S. I see. I lived in Decatur for several years back in the 90's, and my grandparents lived near College Park for many years.
That is the opening theme for the overnight radio show "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory.
@Reiser86 Thank you! I appreciate you recognizing that :)
@racsito39 Three Digit interstates are auxiliary routes of two digit interstates, like beltways around a city (like I-285), by-passes and spurs, do a google search to learn more, there are plenty of places that explain this in more detail.
Why are this so strangely addictive
@devastator2110 You are welcome, glad you enjoy the videos!
@Freewayjim We have one in New Jersey called The Newark Airport Interchange just north of Newark Liberty International Airport where I-95/NJ Turnpike, I-78, US 1-9, US 22, and NJ State Highway Rt. 21 all come together.
Petition to rename this the Mom's Spaghetti interchange
@FreewayBrent Thanks Brent, it is quite an interchange for it's time. I thought you might like that song, hope you use it in a future video.
Been on 285 couple of times , i like the peacefulness, reminds me of Augusta's I-520
@LeonMoutch One I'd really like to do is the I-787/US-9/20 interchange in Albany, but getting up there with the time needed to do a tour like this is another story.
@Pikachu25sci90vt @Pikachu25sci90vt Thanks, There are two 4-Level stacks on the Baltimore Beltway if that's what you are talking about? and if so I have them both on other videos.
Not really, if you have a clue as to where you are going and read signs it's not difficult at all.
this was awesome
@4:04, That minivan scared me! Great video...
There's a good interchange with two high beam bridges heading towards I-95 up to Maryland. But I can't remember what the name of that one is. Do you know which one I'm talking about?
Btw, nice vid.
Awesome video! Thanks for your time!
@Freewayjim: Springfield Interchange tour!
Amazing work, Jim! That's crazy that it took over two hours for you to film all of this footage from one interchange. If you don't mind, where does this one (interchange) rank among your favorites, and could you possibly give your top 5 or so best?
Thanks Mike, it probably doesn't make the top 10 compared to what I've seen around the country but it will always be a sentimental favorite because I got to see it being built as I learned to drive in that mess of construction.
An area I know all too well. I reside 2 hrs south in Dublin, Georgia. It's that exit from 75 to get on 85 that gets me every time. It's the left exit that has a nasty right hand switchback. I nearly learned that exit the hard way.its not easy having to brake from 70 down to 15. I personally don't see how they even maneuver it.
Apparently they started planning for this in the mid 1970's and broke ground in 1983.
@aijunk2 I drive an Acura TL with a lot of miles on it. (never understood the interest in what I drive but I get the question a lot). I just try to keep my eyes open to what's around me, I had 3 close calls while filming this video, none were my fault. Yeah, it can get crazy out there.
They do, but this one was first having opened in 1986.
I live maybe 2 or 3 miles away. I know every hump,bump,crack and hobo un the area. I love it though,perfect for work. I can leave in the morning and head north and work my way back home.No traffic most of the time.
Cool video. I have to go 85S to 285W tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll be early enough to beat traffic
@Curtains1337 Thank you!
Thanks for the excellent video. A well planned execution. Is it possible to provide an animated sketch inset to follow the route?
I drive on I-285 at least once or twice a week myself !!!
great job jim
So far, out of all of your videos, in general, what are your top 5? Out of all of the interchanges that you have experienced in your videos, what are your top 5? And what 5 places would you like to film next?
@FrankG5874 I've seen the Springfield, have videos driving through it. Would love to do a 360 Tour of it like this one someday.
@racsito39 In reply to: What means "Exit Only", why not put just "Exit".; What that means is once one is in that lane they have to exit, and often there is no return ramp in the opposite direction.
I am glad they put those signs up so you know not to use that exit to reverse yourself after missing an exit
I go through it everyday, did you go through it at rush hour? It is INSANE during rush hour, mostly going from 285 East to 85 North. Don't want to see it then, half of I-285 is either bumper to bumper stand still, or just barely crawling.
@atworkstation Thank you!
nice tour!
What's that song in the intro where it says your name called? :P
@BNforever2009 Thank you!
@wipandco Thanks, it was a lot of work!
@ScrewdUPClickV2 Yes indeed, thank you sir!
My commute every day...at least theres some good looking points lol
Thanks for watching!
@the905sDW Thanks!
Thank you, I could add that but I think it would make the video too busy to follow, that's already a lot going on with the footage and signs and quickly changing clips.
That is a garage band loop called Chelsea Flats, it's not really a "song"
0:58 Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton (RIP) and "Sweet" Stan Lane. The Midnight Express!
That car at 1:35 - YIKES!
@anrchst1905 Thanks!
101 miles, 2 hours...but more importantly...did you fill up and get a hot dog and slurpee at QT????? *joking around
Awesome vid as always
jcunninghamsts Thanks, the time comes from all the turn-arounds needed to do a video like this, no stops, I went straight through.
Might take an hour longer these days.
@georgiaroadgeek Thanks Steve!
@FreewayBrent Yeah, I'd love to.
I wish that they wouldn’t call that thing a “spaghetti junction”-quite frankly, it sounds like an Italian restaurant!
@lilsweets4u22 Thank you!
I know why the retaining walls on the ramp from I-285 South-Inner to I-85 North get smacked a lot. There's some funky geometry in that ramp and it has an odd gravity pull. If you're not careful, you can lose control and whap! I mean, the walls are right on top of you there.
You do a helluva job on your hwy vids. I like em.
No jokes about Pascual "I-285" Perez?
@casmatori Thanks!
i love this freaking video
Criving from Fort Myers Florida To New York City takes about a day when you dont sleep.