ATLANTA – Traffic is back to pre-pandemic levels in most of Georgia, state Commissioner of Transportation Russell McMurry reported Thursday.
With the economy steadily reopening, the flow of cars and trucks along Georgia’s rural roads and interstate highways is back to normal, McMurry told members of the State Transportation Board during its monthly meeting Thursday. In fact, truck traffic is actually above normal in some parts of the state, he said.
Only in metro Atlanta is traffic still down significantly from levels seen before March, when the coronavirus pandemic hit the state and prompted Gov. Brian Kemp to issue a statewide stay-at-home order. That mandate has since been lifted for all but Georgians in long-term care facilities and those with chronic medical conditions.
Because the metro region accounts for such a large percentage of the vehicles plying Georgia highways, traffic flow statewide is still down 10% to 15% on average, McMurry said. Traffic across the state plummeted by up to half at the height of the economic lockdown.
McMurry said it’s still unclear how much the reopening of schools for the fall semester will affect traffic flows. He said he would know more by the time he reports back to the transportation board next month.