Significant delays are expected when school resumes August 3, especially around the Crabapple area due to the replacement of a Freemanville Road bridge. 

Congestion tends to tick up around this time every year, with more vehicles on the road heading to-and-from schools and families getting accustomed to new routines. Still, the start of the 2026-2027 school year could be especially challenging given detours related to ongoing work on the Freemanville bridge south of Providence Road. 

Because of this, several bus routes have to be rerouted (ultimately onto Birmingham Highway) as they can no longer take what had been their most efficient possible route. Fulton County Schools have made notable, appreciated efforts to adjust routes as best they can, though there are limits to what they can do. 

Meanwhile, many families who drive their children to-and-from Milton High School, Northwestern Middle School, and Crabapple Crossing Elementary School are in the same situation, while Birmingham Falls Elementary students may be affected as well. Some can no longer take their typical way to school along Freemanville, meaning more than usual amounts may end up on other already busy roads (like Birmingham Highway and Mayfield Road). This should only add to congestion especially at key points like in front of schools, at the Heritage Walk/Birmingham Highway roundabout (which should never be blocked), and along Mayfield Road including near the Freemanville Road turn. 

So what can be done to minimize disruptions, maximize efficiency, and ensure safety?

• Children can ride the bus rather than be driven to-and-from school, one-by-one. The difference between 50 children, for example, on a single bus versus 50 children getting rides from their parents is 49 fewer vehicles on the road. That’s a major difference, especially given this is compounded with more and more buses.  Walking to school, rather than getting driven, can have the same positive effect.

• Adjust how and when you travel through especially the Crabapple area, especially in the morning (between 7 – 9 a.m.) and afternoon (between 2:15-4:15 p.m.). This particularly applies to those who don’t have get to-and-from the schools and ideally have flexibility when it comes to timing and alternative routes.

Milton Police officers will fan across the city on weekday mornings and afternoons in August to help ensure students are safe, drivers follow the law, and traffic moves as smoothly as possible. The City will also disperse electronic message boards as yet another reminder of what’s to come. 

The good news is this Crabapple school-area congestion will not be forever. Not only should people settle in after the first few weeks of school, the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Freemanville Road replacement bridge project (spanning Cooper Sandy Creek) is on schedule. Right now, Freemanville is expected to reopen by the end of October. 

In the meantime, please be aware of what some roads might look like starting next week and be prepared to do what you can to minimize negative impacts. While it’ll likely be more pronounced around Crabapple, this is true citywide. If there is a school near where you live, where you work, or on your way to wherever you’re going, there will be more cars (not to mention buses) nearby. 

Thank you to everyone, in advance, for their patience and understanding.