One of the greatest pictures EVER on Atlanta Time Machine!

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by arjay57

That is an awesome photo! However, the Time Machine says the downtown Connector was referred to as the Northeast Expressway. I never heard that -- to the best of my recollection, the Northeast expressway was always I-85.

You're definitely right that the Northeast Expressway was always I-85.

The Atlanta Time Machine website is most-likely incorrect about that one as, if I am correct, the roadway that we now know as the Downtown Connector used to be referred to as the North Expressway above and north of I-20 and was referred to as the South Expressway below and south of where I-20 is now located.

Though, in the early days of the expressway system in Atlanta when the aforementioned photograph was taken, the current Downtown Connector/then-North Expressway only ran as far south as the Williams Street exit...

...While the south-end of the current Downtown Connector/then-South Expressway only ran as far north as University Avenue.

The North Expressway and the South Expressway remained as two separate roads until about the mid-1960's or so when the connecting middle segment of expressway that contains the (infamous) Grady Curve around Downtown opened and hence was given the name of the "Downtown Connector".

I am not necessarily aware of how the entire stretch of what is now the I-75/I-85 roadway through Central Atlanta between the Brookwood Interchange (the I-75/I-85 split at the north end) and the Lakewood Interchange (the I-75/I-85 split at the south end) came to be known as the Downtown Connector.

[cqholt]

Great photo, Midtown has come a long way.
Was the downtown connector 6 lanes until the freeing the freeways program?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Great photo, Midtown has come a long way.
Was the downtown connector 6 lanes until the freeing the freeways program?

...Pretty much.