The I-285/Ga. 400 interchange reconstruction contract was officially approved by the state April 8, and the contractor will begin final design work immediately, according to the state Department of Transportation.

That also means a more detailed construction schedule should come fairly soon, Yvonne Williams, president and CEO of the Perimeter Center Improvement Districts, said at a recent transportation panel discussion in Sandy Springs.

The $800 million project will replace the traffic-packed interchange and reconstruct several related interchanges and bridges, as well as adding collector/distributor lanes. North Perimeter Contractors, the team that won the project contract, will begin field surveys for the final design today, April 11, according to GDOT.

Major construction work is currently expected to begin late this year or in early 2017 with a completion timeframe of mid-2020. But more details will be available as the design work progresses. For project details and updates, see GDOT’s website here.