June 22, 2007

Baker Street - Upcoming One-Block Street Closure

Due to a continuation of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis’s renovation, Baker Street from Courtland Street to Peachtree Center Avenue will be closed to through traffic starting next Friday, June 29 through the end of the year. 

Click to enlarge

Detailed information follows to give you guidance in getting into and around Downtown during this time.  If you are a daily commuter to Downtown, we encourage you to explore your route options to figure out a route that works best for you.  Downtown is one of a handful of areas in Atlanta with a well-established grid street network, and this provides a variety of alternatives for access.  The signed detour for the Baker Street closure (described below) is only one option for navigating this area within Downtown.  There are likely a variety of other routes that can be used to get you where you need to go.

What:  Baker Street – Street Closure between Courtland Street (on the east) and Peachtree Center Avenue (on the west)

This one-block segment of Baker Street will be closed to through traffic.  The street will be open to allow access to parking decks (including the large SunTrust Plaza Garden Offices parking deck) and loading docks with entry and exit points within this block of Baker Street.

Pedestrian traffic will also be allowed to use the sidewalk along the north side of this block, and pedestrian access will be maintained for building entrances on the block.

When: Starting Friday, June 29, 2007 through December 31, 2007

Why:   The continuation of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis’s $100 million major renovation project, which has seen similar closures on Harris Street and Courtland Street.  The good news is that both of these phases are about to be completed, and Harris Street and Courtland Street will be completely open again starting June 29.  The next phase of the renovation project involves the Baker Street side of the property, necessitating a street closure for approximately a six-month period.

The Signed Detour:
Vehicles traveling south on Courtland Street and from the I-75/I-85 exit ramp (Exit 249A) and vehicles traveling west on Baker Street into Downtown will be detoured:

1. South on Courtland Street for two (2) blocks; then
2. West (right-turn) onto Andrew Young International Boulevard for one (1) block; then
3. North (right-turn) onto Peachtree Center Avenue for two (2) blocks; then
4. West (left-turn) back onto Baker Street

Signs will be posted to allow access to the loading docks and SunTrust Plaza Garden Offices parking deck driveways along the block of Baker Street that will be closed to through traffic.

Details:

1. Off-duty police officers will be stationed at the Courtland Street – Baker Street intersection, as well as the Peachtree Center Avenue – Baker Street intersection between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM Monday through Friday to assist vehicles that need access to the respective parking decks and loading docks along the block.
2. On weekends, there will be appropriate signage alerting travelers to the changes/detours. 
3. There will be detour signs and changeable message signs posted both on Interstate I-75 / I-85, as well as on Andrew Young International Boulevard, to alert commuters and visitors of the street closure, and to advise them of alternative routes.
4. The Atlanta Police Department and City of Atlanta Parking Enforcement will be aggressively enforcing illegal parking on Peachtree Center Avenue, especially prior to rush hours to facilitate traffic movement.
5. Be advised to monitor Andrew Young International Boulevard during this period in anticipation of increased traffic that may create congestion along this route, especially during the morning hours when restaurants and retail establishments are receiving deliveries.
6. During the six-month period, special arrangements will be made to accommodate parade road closures and alternative detour routes.

If you would like assistance in identifying alternative routes to and from your Downtown location, or if you would like more information on the various transportation options available to you for getting around Downtown, please contact:

The Downtown Transportation Management Association (TMA)
404-658-1877