Transit During Construction: Alternatives for Caregivers When Highways Are Being Upgraded

When Highways Change, Care Can't Stop: Practical help for caregivers during major construction

Construction on major routes—like the 2026 I-75 upgrades in Georgia—can suddenly turn a 20-minute trip into an all-day ordeal. For caregivers who depend on predictable travel to keep medical appointments, deliver meds, and maintain routines, those delays create stress, missed care, and safety risks. This guide gives you step-by-step alternatives: transportation options, how to substitute telehealth when appropriate, smart care scheduling, and a simple backup communications plan so your care never pauses.

Top-line priorities for caregivers when construction disrupts routes

1. Confirm essential appointments—decide what must happen in person and what can move or switch to virtual.
2. Identify reliable alternative transport—book options ahead when possible.
3. Protect medications and treatments—arrange refills or home delivery before delays cause gaps.
4. Set up backup communications—prepare for phone/data outages and have offline directions.

Why this matters in 2026: trends shaping disruption and response

Late 2025 and early 2026 brought a wave of large highway upgrades and toll-lane projects in several metro areas. For example, state leaders proposed major investments to widen and add toll express lanes to I-75 near Atlanta to address chronic congestion. While these projects aim to improve traffic flow long-term, the short- to mid-term impact includes extended detours, partial closures, and unpredictable travel times.

At the same time, care systems have changed: telehealth adoption and ride-service partnerships with health systems expanded through 2024–2026, and payers increasingly reimburse virtual care and non-emergency medical transport. That combination—the rise of infrastructure projects plus growth in care-delivery alternatives—creates an opportunity: you can design resilient care plans that adapt to construction rather than being derailed by it.

Step 1 — Quickly assess the situation (first 48 hours)

1. Check official construction schedules. State DOTs and local transportation departments publish lane closure maps and expected completion dates—search for your county DOT or sign up for alerts.
2. Confirm all upcoming medical appointments for the next 30 days. Use a single shared calendar (paper and digital) and prioritize which visits must be in person.
3. Contact your primary care provider and specialist offices. Ask about telehealth options, home services, or alternatives like lab-only visits and mobile phlebotomy.
4. Estimate real travel time using multiple tools (map apps at different times of day, transit agency schedules, and local traffic Twitter/X feeds).

Practical alternative transportation options

Not every option fits every caregiver or care recipient. Use the checklist below to match needs (mobility limits, oxygen, wheelchair-accessible vehicle, costs, and insurance coverage) to services.

1. Public transit and paratransit

• Bus and rail: Often avoid highways and follow alternate streets during construction—good for ambulatory patients. Buy passes online and check accessibility features on agency sites.
• Paratransit (ADA complementary service): For people who cannot use regular buses. Book early; these services often require 24–48 hours’ notice.

2. Non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) and ambulette services

NEMT vendors contracted by Medicaid or insurers can handle stretcher or wheelchair transport. When construction causes long detours, these services often account for extra time and can be pre-booked as part of a care plan.

3. Ride services and health-sector partnerships

• Uber Health and Lyft Healthcare options: Many hospitals now use these platforms for outpatient rides. They can be scheduled by clinic staff and billed to the health system or patient.
• Commercial taxis and disability ride programs: May be faster to arrange for short-notice rides in areas with heavy highway work.

4. Community and volunteer driver programs

Local nonprofits, faith groups, and Area Agencies on Aging often run volunteer driver programs for medical trips. They tend to be low-cost or free and can be more flexible during detours. Call your local aging services office or 2-1-1 to locate options.

5. Mobile health and home-based care

If in-person transit becomes unreliable, move services to the home where possible: home health nurses, mobile lab draws, in-home physical therapy, and mail-order pharmacy delivery reduce the need to travel.

6. Carpooling and neighborhood ride pools

Coordinate with neighbors who travel similar routes. A shared approach can ease scheduling and split costs. Create a short, clear carpool agreement covering timing, fuel costs, and cancellations.

Telehealth as a substitute: when and how to use it safely

Telehealth is not a full replacement for all care, but in 2026 it is more robust than ever: clinics offer hybrid visits, remote monitoring devices are common, and many payers still support telehealth reimbursement for primary and behavioral health visits.

Deciding when telehealth is appropriate

• Use telehealth for routine medication reviews, behavioral health visits, triage, and some specialty consults (dermatology follow-ups, medication management).
• Avoid telehealth when a physical exam is essential—wound checks, many therapy assessments, or if urgent diagnostics (labs, imaging) are required.

Preparing for a successful telehealth visit

1. Test devices and internet—consider a wired connection or a mobile hotspot as backup.
2. Have a list of medications, recent vitals, and photos of any physical concerns ready.
3. Set expectations with the clinician: ask whether labs, in-person follow-up, or prescriptions will be necessary afterward.

Remote monitoring and home diagnostic options

Wearables, home blood pressure monitors, glucometers, and remote oxygen sensors can make telehealth visits clinically useful. Ask your provider about device programs or short-term loans during construction periods.

Smart care scheduling: reduce trips, cluster care, and prevent missed appointments

Scheduling strategically is one of the fastest ways to minimize stress during long construction projects.

Five scheduling tactics

1. Cluster appointments: Combine several in-person needs on the same day—lab draw, primary care, and pharmacy pickup—to minimize total trips.
2. Off-peak travel: Schedule visits during non-commute hours when construction backups are smaller.
3. Flexible rescheduling policy: Ask clinics for same-week reschedule options and the office’s policy for late arrivals because of roadwork.
4. Pre-authorize transportation: Have the clinic book or authorize a ride in advance, especially for mobility-limited patients.
5. Mail and pharmacy planning: Use mail-order or 90-day medication supplies and sign up for pharmacy home delivery to avoid unnecessary trips.

Backup communications: prepare for phone or data outages

Construction zones and infrastructure projects sometimes coincide with cellular network stress and even outages (for example, major carrier outages in recent years). A simple backup communications plan keeps everyone connected.

Backup communications checklist

• Printed emergency contact list: Include primary care, specialists, pharmacy, local transit/paratransit numbers, and preferred ride vendors.
• Alternate phone numbers: Keep landline numbers and a neighbor or family member’s mobile on file.
• Portable charger and mobile hotspot: Maintain battery packs and a cellular hotspot device.
• Offline directions: Save PDF maps and printed turn-by-turn directions for detours.
• Text-based comms: If voice networks are congested, SMS often still works. Consider emergency group texts and an agreed code for urgent situations.

"When the I-75 interchange closed for overnight work, my route doubled. Having a clinic-authorized Uber Health ride and a printed list of alternate routes saved us a missed infusion." — A caregiver in Clayton County (name withheld)

Case study: Anna's plan for an elderly parent during I-75 upgrades

Anna cares for her 82-year-old father who has congestive heart failure and weekly lab monitoring. Construction on I-75 in early 2026 extended her usual commute by up to 60 minutes.

1. She contacted the cardiology clinic and converted routine med-checks to telehealth when vitals were stable.
2. For necessary in-person labs, the clinic arranged mobile phlebotomy and scheduled it for a weekday morning to avoid peak traffic.
3. Anna enrolled her father in a county volunteer driver program for occasional trips and set up 90-day pharmacy delivery for chronic meds.
4. She created a printed care binder with appointment confirmations, a map of detours, and phone numbers—kept in the car and by the phone.

Result: Anna reduced time on the road by half, maintained medication adherence, and avoided missed critical tests during the construction window.

Advanced strategies and 2026-forward predictions

Expect several mobility and care trends to accelerate across the country in 2026 and beyond:

• Integrated mobility hubs: Cities will pilot hubs that connect paratransit, ride services, and transit—making first/last mile trips easier around construction zones.
• Expanded payer support: More insurers will continue to reimburse telehealth and non-traditional transport for specific chronic conditions.
• Growth in health-system transport partnerships: Hospitals will increasingly contract with ride-service companies to manage outpatient transport, including during major infrastructure work.
• Smarter detour planning: DOTs will offer real-time construction feeds that health systems can integrate into appointment routing and patient notifications.

Templates and scripts you can use today

Call script for clinics

"Hello—this is [Your Name], caregiver for [Patient Name]. We are affected by local highway construction near [I-75 or other route]. I have upcoming appointments on [dates]. Can we review which visits require in-person care and whether any can be done via telehealth? Also, does the clinic offer ride scheduling or mobile services for labs or treatments?"

Short text for volunteer driver programs

"Hello—I'm arranging medical rides during local highway construction. My care recipient needs wheelchair-accessible transportation for [appointment types/dates]. Are there available drivers and any intake steps I should complete?"

Actionable checklist: 7-day and 30-day plans

24–72 hour checklist

• Confirm appointments for the next 7 days and label them: essential, telehealth-possible, deferrable.
• Contact clinics to explore telehealth or mobile services.
• Call pharmacy to set up delivery or refill early.
• Print and store detour maps and contact lists.

30-day checklist

• Ask providers to cluster in-person care and pre-authorize transport if needed.
• Enroll in volunteer driver or paratransit programs.
• Arrange remote monitoring devices or loaner equipment.
• Set a schedule review every two weeks while construction continues.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Not confirming a return trip—many ride services require booking a return separately.
• Assuming telehealth covers the same procedures—ask specifically if prescriptions, labs, or imaging will still require in-person visits.
• Waiting until the last minute to arrange paratransit or NEMT—book as early as rules require.
• Relying on a single device—cellular outages do happen; keep backups.

Final takeaways

Major construction projects like the 2026 upgrades to I-75 will cause short-term disruption but there are practical, compassionate steps caregivers can take to keep care consistent:

• Plan early: Confirm which services truly require travel and which can shift to telehealth or home visits.
• Use mixed transportation: Combine paratransit, ride services, volunteer drivers, and mobile health to create redundancy.
• Communicate clearly: Use the scripts and checklists above to coordinate with clinics, pharmacies, and transit agencies.
• Prepare for outages: Have printed directions and backup contacts ready in case phone or data service is interrupted.

Call to action

Start a resilient care plan today: print the 24–72 hour checklist above, call your primary clinic and ask about telehealth and transportation options, and enroll in local volunteer driver or paratransit services. If you’d like a customizable one-page care plan template built from this guide, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or save this article for reference and share it with your caregiving circle—resilient care starts with a single phone call.

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