Georgia has selected a private development team for new I-285 express lanes that would connect with the GA-400 corridor used by Roswell commuters.

The State Transportation Board approved Top End Mobility Group as the preferred proposer Oct. 15. The Ferrovial-led consortium would design, build, finance, operate and maintain the first phase under a 50-year agreement, according to Atlanta News First.

The agreements have not been finalized. Commercial close, when the documents would be signed, is anticipated in December.

The first phase would add two barrier-separated westbound express lanes between Henderson Road and Northside Drive, with connections to the SR 400 and I-85 express-lane systems. Drivers could continue using the existing general-purpose lanes without paying a toll.

Ferrovial estimates the first phase’s construction value at $8.9 billion, according to its announcement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under the proposed deal, the consortium would also pay Georgia a $23.6 billion concession fee in six annual installments and reimburse $515 million in state expenses, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The concession payments would support I-285 improvements or related projects.

Tolls would vary with traffic conditions, and drivers would use Peach Pass. The reported $2.06-per-mile limit is a soft cap: rates could temporarily exceed it when express-lane speeds fall below 45 mph, and the rate would adjust with inflation, according to the AJC.

The first phase is expected to reach substantial completion in 2034. Published schedules differ on the broader construction timeline. Atlanta News First reported a late-2027 start and completion of remaining phases by 2041; the AJC reported construction beginning in 2028 and the final phase opening in 2042.

For Roswell drivers, the project would eventually link to the separate GA-400 express lanes already under construction.

Work associated with that project began Oct. 12 on westbound Holcomb Bridge Road near the Roswell Police Department and Roswell Summit buildings, Appen Media reported. The buildings’ Holcomb Bridge entrance and exit are closed during the work, with access available from Old Dogwood Road.

The GA-400 project is a public-private partnership reported to be worth $11 billion, with completion targeted for 2031, according to WSB-TV.