Route 20 Exit 115 - Cities of Buford, GA ~ Lawrenceville, GA . . . Lake Lanier . . . If you're headed to Mall of Georgia, head west in the first part of the exit. Access to Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River & Lake Lanier Islands. Interstate 85 spans over 180 miles across north central Georgia. It runs from the mountains, through metro Atlanta, and into the Southern Rivers region bordering on Alabama. Driving through metro Atlanta, where the highway is paired with Interstate 75 (called The Downtown Connector), you'll encounter some of America's most challenging driving. Morning & evening rush hours last approx. 3 hours each. This area demands your best driving skills, but the skyline is awesome, especially as the sun begins to go down. Truck traffic is generally restricted to the right lanes, so help the big guys out and let them have these lanes when you can. You can tune into AM640 WGST or AM750 WSB for helpful traffic reports.