East Cobb Traffic & Roads

Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector funding approved by Atlanta Regional Commission

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Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector
A Cobb DOT conceptual map of the proposed Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector that was approved by Cobb commissioners in 2017. 

The Atlanta Regional Commission announced today that its board has approved $44 million in transportation funding for Cobb County, including the proposed Windy Hill-Terrell Mill connector.

The funding goes through 2023. The Windy Hill-Terrell Mill connector is a planned 0.8-mile, four-lane road with an eight-foot raised median designed to relieve traffic in a busy corridor near Interstate 75 (link to project fact sheet). The project also includes a multi-use trail connecting to the Bob Callan Trail System and the Chattahoochee River.

It’s also designed to feed into the new Northwest Corridor Express Lanes that open in August and that will include an entrance/exit point at I-75 and Terrell Mill Road.

Some living in multi-family buildings and condos have been forced from their homes to make way for the connector and have expressed their displeasure not only with that prospect, but also how it has been handled.

Related story

The projected costs for the connector are $38 million, with $22 million, mostly in Cobb SPLOST funds, for continuing right-of-way acquisitions and $15 million from state sources in 2020 for construction. That’s when construction is scheduled to begin, and is expected to conclude in early 2022.

Other Cobb projects on the ARC approval list include the South Barrett Parkway Reliever near Town Center, Phase I of the Mableton Parkway Trail and the creation of Sunday service and additional Saturday service for the CobbLINC bus system.

The Cobb projects approved today by the ARC were part of a $400 million transportation package in the metro Atlanta area to be spent over the next five years.

 

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Piedmont Road railroad crossing repairs completed; road has reopened

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Piedmont Road railroad crossing

Following up the post from last week about Piedmont Road railroad crossing repairs: Cobb County government posted around 10 a.m. that that stretch of the road—from Canton Road to Morgan Road—has reopened.

The crossing, is, and we’re quoting directly here from a social media posting, “is smooth as a baby’s you-know-what!”

The work was to smooth out a very rough crossing and to make track and roadside repairs.

Related stories

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Holly Springs-Old Canton Road improvements subject of June 14 Cobb DOT open house

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Holly Springs-Old Canton Road improvements, Cobb DOT

 

Next Thursday the Cobb Department of Transportation will hold an open house for citizens to learn about upcoming Holly Springs-Old Canton-Post Oak Tritt Road improvements.

The open house takes place on June 14 from 5-7 p.m. at the East Cobb Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).

There’s not going to be a formal presentation but Cobb DOT staff will be available to take questions from and provide information for citizens.

The project, paid for with around $2 million in 2016 SPLOST funds, will get underway this fall. It includes the construction of a roundabout at Holly Springs and Post Oak Tritt, along with raised median, and new curb, gutter and sidewalk work.

The initial formation sheet called for a roundabout at Old Canton and Holly Springs. Currently there is a traffic signal at Holly Springs and Post Oak Tritt.

That’s a much busier intersection than the other existing roundabouts in the Northeast Cobb area. The others are at Holly Springs and Davis Road, in front of Pope High School on Hembree Road and another that’s just under construction at Post Oak Tritt and Hembree.

 

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Piedmont Road railroad crossing to be closed next week for repairs

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Piedmont Road railroad crossing

This isn’t taking place until the end of next week, but Piedmont Road around the railroad tracks will be closed briefly to make repairs to the tracks.

A very bumpy crossing is going to be smoothed over with new tracks and pads and sidewalks, and the road repaved, and it’s long been the subject of complaints from motorists.

The closure on Piedmont between Canton Road and Morgan Road begins at 5 a.m. Friday, June 8, and is expected to be reopened by 12 p.m. the following day, Saturday, June 9.

Here’s more information from Cobb DOT about what’s going on, and how you can get around if that’s a route you normally use:

Electronic closure warning signs will be installed on each side of the railroad announcing the pending closure and detour signs will also be installed. Alternate routes will include Ebenezer/Blackwell roads to the north and Morgan/Liberty Hill roads to the south.

Patriot Rail, formally known as Georgia Northeastern Railroad, staff will remove the existing tracks across Piedmont Road and replacing with new ballast, ties and rails including pre-cast concrete crossing panels instead of the existing rubber crossing pads. Once that work is complete, a Cobb Department of Transportation contractor will add asphalt on each side before the road can be reopened to traffic. Between June 9 and June 30, the contractor will add curb, gutter, sidewalk and drainage structures using temporary lane closures to complete the project. Funding for this project is part of the voter approved 2016 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. 

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Northwest Corridor Project update: Cobb managed lanes slated for late summer opening

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Northwest Corridor Project, Roswell Road interchange
An interchange at Roswell Road and I-75 will be one of several entry and exit points for East Cobb motorists using the Northwest Corridor lanes. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

The Northwest Corridor Project express lanes designed to relieve traffic on I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties are anticipated to be fully operational by the Labor Day weekend.

UPDATED: Northwest Corridor Lanes opening Saturday, Sept. 8

But now’s a good time to purchase the required passes for driving along the nearly 30 miles of managed lanes, which are nearly complete after more than five years of planning and construction.

That’s the message from Steven Lively, the Georgia Department of Transportation’s program delivery manager for major projects.

Earlier this week, he provided an update to the East Cobb Civic Association. While the general expected opening of the lanes is still “late summer,” he said “we hope to have traffic in the system by Labor Day.”

Resurfacing I-75 along the Express Lanes route, and on I-285 between the Chattahoochee River and Cobb Parkway is expected to be done by Aug. 31, he said.

The “Peach Pass” is currently being used on other managed lane and toll routes in Georgia, and will soon be expanded to the Northwest Corridor Project.

The pass is an electronic transponder device with an adhesive that sticks to a windshield or front bumper. Motorists purchase the passes in advance of their first time using the lanes, and then refill their accounts with money, depending on how much they use the lanes.

“We encourage people to use the system when it benefits them,” Lively said. “It may not be an everyday option but you get to make a choice.”

Motorists can apply online here to set up an account (for an initial fee of $20), and passes will be mailed. There’s also a mobile app for the Peach Pass.

The costs will be based on what’s called “dynamic pricing,” which rise as demand increases and is reduced during off-peak hours, Lively said.

He said toll charges for the Northwest Corridor routes will be set later by the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA).

Fines will apply to motorists who enter the lanes without a Peach Pass, or with one that’s expired, or if an account has insufficient funds, as well as for driving a vehicle that’s unregistered for Peach Pass use (more on fines here).

The finishing touches of the project, including testing of electronic signs and other devices at the interchanges, are underway now, according to Lively, who said the project is around 95 percent complete.

The $834 million project—the biggest in state transportation history—stretches in two lanes along I-75 from Akers Mill Road to Hickory Grove Road in Acworth. Three of the six interchanges will be easily accessible to East Cobb motorists: Akers Mill Road, Terrell Mill Road and Roswell Road.

The Express Lanes also include a spur at the I-75 junction that then goes up I-575 in a single lane to Sixes Road near Canton. Three sets of “slip ramps” include a northbound exit and a southbound entrance at Shallowford Road in Northeast Cobb.

Northwest Corridor Project Map

The managed lanes will be for southbound traffic in the morning, and northbound traffic in the afternoon rush hour. Lively said the express lanes will be closed for three hours in between to clear vehicles and reverse the direction of the traffic flow.

Georgia DOT estimates that the Express Lanes can ultimately save motorists up to 43 minutes on their daily commute time, depending on how long their travel is on that route, and that drivers in the general lanes could have their traffic time reduced by as much as 16 minutes.

 

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Traffic alert: Interstate 75 accidents at South Marietta Parkway close all southbound lanes

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Interstate 75 accidents
Georgia DOT camera photo, shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Shortly before 4 p.m. today, Marietta Police said that multiple Interstate 75 accidents just south of the South Marietta Parkway have caused the closing of all five southbound lanes of traffic.Marietta Police, Delk Road motel shooting

One northbound lane is also blocked in the same area.

Police said there have been four individual accidents involving five vehicles and a tractor-trailer, which jacknifed.

There is no word on injuries as of now.

The Georgia State Patrol is working the scene with Marietta and Cobb police officers, and the estimated time of clearing all lanes is around 6 p.m.

A heavy rain shower passed through Marietta and East Cobb around 3:30 p.m. as most of metro Atlanta and much of north Georgia remains under a flash flood watch until 8 a.m. Wednesday.

 

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Casteel Road bridge replacement to close traffic at Piney Grove Creek all summer

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Casteel Road, bridge repairs, Piney Grove Creek

Following up something we posted back in March, about the $1.2 million Casteel Road bridge replacement project over Piney Grove Creek:

Cobb DOT said today that traffic on Casteel Road where it meets Bill Murdock Road and Oak Lane at the creek and bridge will be closed starting Thursday, May 24, and will reopen on July 31.

The dates are timed for today’s end to the 2017-18 school year and the start of the 2018-19 school year on Aug. 1.

The 55-year-old bridge over Piney Grove Creek, what used to be called Sewell Creek, is being completely replaced, and the new construction will be wider, with shoulders, sidewalks and barriers on either side.

The three-way intersection also will be reconfigured, but for now, motorists will be able to travel between Oak and Bill Murdock, as indicated by the Cobb DOT map below showing suggested detours. More information is at cobbcommute.org.

Casteel Road bridge replacement, alternate routes

Related story

 

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Cobb spending an additional $160K for engineering design for Lower Roswell traffic improvements

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Lower Roswell traffic improvements
The intersection of Lower Roswell Road and Woodlawn Drive. (East Cobb News photo)

Long-delayed plans for Lower Roswell traffic improvements in the Johnson Ferry Road area are getting some action.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners last week approved a contract for $160,145 for additional engineering design work.

It’s the second time supplemental funding for design work has been approved for that project, bringing the total spending for pre-construction engineering to $650,000 in Cobb’s consulting contract with Smith Gresham and Partners.

The original contact was for $445,000. Cobb DOT said the extra funding was needed to “revise the original concept preliminary design and right-of-way plans.”

The project, which is the final phase of improvements in the Lower Roswell corridor, call for significant changes between Woodlawn Drive and Davidson Road, although no final plans have been determined.

They include a possible raised median along part of the route, longer turn lanes and improved traffic and pedestrian signals.

Lower Roswell traffic improvements
Cobb DOT map

It was initially approved in the 2011 SPLOST (initial project summary here and project concept here) and Cobb DOT officials held public open houses in 2012 to tout the changes.

But it has run into snags from the beginning.

The major concerns were from business owners on the north side of Lower Roswell, east from Johnson Ferry to Davidson. A raised median is proposed, but has not been formally approved, to cut down on left-turn traffic coming out of Parkaire Landing Shopping Center.

District 2 Cobb commissioner Bob Ott told East Cobb News he wanted changes that would have “the least amount of impact on those businesses.”

He said early designs called for a service road from the McDonald’s on Lower Roswell to Davidson to accommodate access to those businesses, but that road is not going to be built.

Ott said the additional design work was sought since the original proposal was made so long ago. Because the project is SPLOST-approved by voters, it must be completed. There isn’t a timetable for the design revisions.

Right-of-way purchases also remain outstanding. The elderly occupant of an old white house facing Lower Roswell at Woodlawn has passed away in recent months, and property acquisition is still in progress.

The Lower Roswell project includes additional sidewalks as well as through and turn lanes in and around the intersection at Woodlawn.

The total cost of the project, when finished, is expected to come to $6.2 million, with nearly half of that right-of-way purchases.

Lower Roswell traffic improvements
Cobb DOT aerial rendering

 

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Canton Road transportation improvements subject of open house next week

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Canton Road transportation improvements

Major Canton Road transportation improvements are coming, and the public is invited to learn more about them and ask questions of Cobb DOT staff at an open house on Tuesday.

The open house is from 5-7 p.m. at Blackwell Elementary School (3470 Canton Road), which is about the midway point along a route on Canton Road for the biggest project in this corridor.

The project, numbered X2602 (details here) includes the addition of turn lanes and sidewalks from the Cherokee County line to Kurtz Road, and also involves changes at the Canton Road-Piedmont Road intersection. It’s estimated to begin early next year, with a completion date in mid-2020 at a cost of $2.6 million.

Another project, X2304 (details here), will add a northbound right turn lane onto Canton Road at the intersection of Highland Terrace, just south of Shallowford Road. Construction is expected to begin late next year and the cost estimate is $696,000.

Both projects are being funded with collections from the Cobb 2016 SPLOST.

Tuesday’s open house will not have a formal presentation.

 

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Funding requested for emergency repairs to Woodlawn Drive sinkhole

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Woodlawn Drive sinkhole

A Woodlawn Drive sinkhole that was caused by damage to a concrete pipe has been covered by a metal plate and is surrounded with warning cones.

It’s located just north of Blackland Drive, and is at the entrance to a driveway at 111 Woodlawn Drive. Cobb County Manager Rob Hosack has authorized spending $47,163 to make repairs.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners will be asked on Tuesday to ratify the spending request and formalize the emergency contract to Chatfield Contracting, Inc. of Kennesaw.

According to agenda item information for Tuesday’s meeting, the funding is available in the 2016 Cobb SPLOST transportation category for drainage improvements.

The repair work will include clearing an obstructed part of the 18-inch concrete pipe, repairing it, repaving the road and restoring the shoulder and re-establishing a drainage ditch.

The work should take around 30 days to complete.

 

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Casteel Road bridge replacement approved; will cost $1.2 million

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Casteel Road bridge replacement
The current bridge over Piney Grove Creek on Casteel Road. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

A Casteel Road bridge replacement project costing $1.277 million was approved Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The current 55-year-old bridge spanning Piney Grove Creek sits at the intersection of Casteel Road, Oak Lane and Murdock Road, and has been deemed deficient by the Cobb DOT.

It will be replaced by a wider bridge with shoulders, sidewalks and barriers on either side, and the configuration of the three-way intersection will be improved.

The contract was awarded to Tidwell Construction Co. of Douglasville, the low bid of four bids received. Most of the funding is earmarked in the 2016 Cobb SPLOST. The project is expected to be completed in 120 days of getting a notice to proceed from the county.

The commissioners also approved spending nearly $140,000 for intersection improvements at Terrell Mill Road at Brookview Road. The intersection is at the entrance of Terrell Mill Estates and a new residential development on the site of the former Shreiner Academy.

The funding also comes from the 2016 SPLOST, and the project was awarded to Excellere Construction of East Cobb.

 

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UPDATE: Motorcyclist dies after Johnson Ferry Road accident

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East Cobb traffic alert, Johnson Ferry Road accident
East Cobb News reader photo from the accident scene on Johnson Ferry Road at Lake Rill Court.

UPDATED, Tuesday, March 27, 11 A.M.: Cobb Police said this morning the motorcyclist in Monday’s Johnson Ferry Road accident has died. He has been identified as Alexander Seidnitzer, age 18, of East Cobb.

Police said Seidnitzer was traveling southbound on Johnson Ferry Road on a gray 2015 Yamaha FZ07 motorcycle when it collided with a lawn service truck at the intersection of Lake Rill Court.

The truck, driven by Joshua Peavy, 27, of Smyrna, was attempting to turn left from Lake Rill Court onto Johnson Ferry Road northbound when the accident occurred, police said.

Seidnitzer died after being transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, according to police, who said Peavy was not injured.

Police said they do not anticipate filing charges in the accident, which is still under investigation.

Family members said Seidnitzer was aiming to be a chef and attend culinary school (see comments below).

UPDATED, 1:50 P.M. Monday

Officer Wayne Delk of the Cobb County Police Department said a motorcyclist collided with a landscaping truck at the intersection of Johnson Ferry Road and Lake Rill Court late Monday morning.

The motorcyclist, who was not identified, was taken by ambulance from the accident scene with life-threatening injuries, Delk said. The accident occurred shortly before 10 a.m.

All northbound lanes of Johnson Ferry Road were closed between Roswell Road and Bishop Lake Road while the accident was being investigated, according to police, and only one southbound lane of Johnson Ferry was open during that time. All traffic lanes reopened around 1:40 p.m., Cobb Police said.

Delk said initial information from the accident scene indicates that the motorcyclist may be at fault.

We have received photos from a reader, including above, who was caught in the traffic jam, and who also told us this:

” . . . really sad, it was a young person on the blue motorcycle and the man driving the Arbornomics truck was so distraught and crying by the side of the road.”

We’ve also received dashcam footage from Mohamad Zakaria, who was traveling southbound on Johnson Ferry when the motorcyclist zoomed past him. Zakaria, who was heading to classes at Georgia Perimeter College, was traveling around 45 mph, the posted local speed limit.

ORIGINAL POST, 11:49 A.M. Monday

Cobb DOT is asking motorists to consider an alternative to using Johnson Ferry Road at Lake Rill Court, just north of Roswell Road, due to an accident that’s causing heavy delays.

The accident is affecting traffic in both north and southbound lanes, but that’s all the information that’s available for now.

UPDATED, 1:14 P.M.: Johnson Ferry Road traffic at that intersection is shut down until at least 2 p.m.

Lake Rill Court is the entrance to a neighborhood on the same side of Johnson Ferry as the Sunrise at East Cobb senior living facility, and just a little north of it.

We’ll update this story when we get more information.

 

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Post Oak Tritt-Hembree Road roundabout project approved

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Post Oak Tritt-Hembree Road roundabut

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $1.3 million contract to construct a roundabout at Post Oak Tritt Road and Hembree Road.

The low bid amount (among eight proposals) was submitted by Glosson Enterprises and the funding comes from the 2016 Cobb government SPLOST.

The commissioners also voted to proceed with condemnation proceedings involving one property owner on Post Oak Tritt Road to obtain right-of-way for the roundabout project while negotiations continue with that resident.

In addition to the roundabout, the project includes enhanced street lighting and sidewalk ramp upgrades, required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The intersection currently has only one stop sign, at Hembree Road.

Completion of the roundabout project is expected by July 2019, according to Cobb DOT.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved spending $197,990 for design and construction administration work for a new building on the Hyde Farm facility on Lower Roswell Road.

Southern A & E, LLC will design the multi-level building that will support continuing agricultural operations, house farm vehicles and help facilitate the use of farm equipment on the 135-acre property, which is being preserved as an educational and recreational resource for the public.

The contract is “one step closer to the idea for Hyde Farm,” District 2 commissioner Bob Ott said before the 5-0 board vote.

The Cobb Master Gardeners recently planted a community garden at Hyde Farm, which is located at the end of Hyde Road.

The commissioners also voted to spend $191,726 in “closeout” funding for the finishing touches on the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, which opened in December.

The additional money, which comes from the 2016 SPLOST, will be used for rock removal, expanded security, furnishing, signage and acoustical work.

 

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East Cobb traffic alert: Piedmont Road lane closures at railroad tracks begin Tuesday

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Piedmont Road
Cobb DOT map

A very hard and bumpy crossing on Piedmont Road at the railroad tracks is about to get some long-needed attention, but it will cause some traffic issues along the way.

Cobb DOT issued a notice today that starting tomorrow at 9 a.m., there will be lane closures while repair crews work on the railroad crossing.

Here’s what they’re saying for now:

Work will start on the outside eastbound lane and then shift to the inside eastbound lane before proceeding with westbound lane repairs in the same pattern. Additional closures for further repairs are expected in the coming months.

For more information and updates road work in the county, visit the Cobb Commute page.

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North Marietta Parkway exit ramp from I-75 closed Thursday night to Friday morning

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North Marietta Parkway exit ramp, Northwest Corridor Project

The latest rolling closure in the continuing Northwest Corridor Express Lanes Project will take place from 8 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Friday at the southbound North Marietta Parkway exit ramp from Interstate.

Georgia DOT says the ramp will be closed for asphalt work.

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Windy Hill Road southbound ramp at Interstate 75 closed overnight Tuesday and Wednesday

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Northwest Corridor Project

Some midweek overnight bridge work on the Windy Hill Road southbound ramp to Interstate 75 is being done on the continuing Northwest Corridor Project tonight and Wednesday night that may affect some East Cobb motorists.

From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. both nights, it’s a multiple-lane closure: A double-left-lane closure starts at 11 p.m., then shifts to a triple-left-lane closure beginning at midnight until 5 a.m.

This closure extends—again, only in the southbound direction—from north of Windy Hill Road to Windy Ridge Parkway.

More on the Northwest Corridor project can be found here.

 

 

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Cobb schools closed on Friday, Jan. 19; other East Cobb openings/closures/updates

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East Cobb Park, Cobb schools closed Friday
Sunshine helped melt much of the snow, including at East Cobb Park, but icy roads are expected to freeze over again Thursday night. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

The word’s just come down that for the third day in a row, Cobb schools will be closed on Friday.

The Cobb County School District cited “hazardous road and travel conditions throughout the county,” and that includes a number of areas of East Cobb.

The major roads are clear for the most part, but along roads without the direct sunshine that helped the melting process today, there’s still a lot of ice and slush. That’s expected to freeze over again tonight as temperatures drop down into the mid-to-low 20s.

When we went out earlier this afternoon, we noticed this too, especially along Robinson Road near Fullers Park, and along Robinson on either side of Old Canton Road.

That’s one of a couple dozen or so icy patches in East Cobb that remain treacherous. Earlier today, some social media postings included a lot of ice on Hembree Road near Pope High School, and around Walton High School.

Other areas where ice has been an issue include:

  • Sandy Plains Road at Wigley Road and north on Wigley Road;
  • Several areas along Mabry Road;
  • Ebenezer Road;
  • Several spots along Bells Ferry Road;
  • Barnes Mill Road;
  • Roswell Road near Barnes Mill;
  • Post Oak Tritt near Johnson Ferry Road;
  • Shallowford Road east of Johnson Ferry;
  • Johnson Ferry Road at Oak Drive;
  • Sewell Mill Road near Old Canton Road;
  • Johnson Ferry at the Chattahoochee River;
  • Several areas along Powers Ferry Road.

Cobb County government will have normal working hours on Friday.

Mt. Bethel Christian Academy will be holding classes as normally scheduled on Friday.

The Walker School also announced it would be trying to make a go of classes on Friday, tweeting out this message not long after the Cobb announcement:

On Friday, warmer weather is expected to stick around longer, with highs into the low 50s and lows in the high 20s, with the chance of ice returning again Friday night.

It’s going to get gradually warmer over the weekend, into the low 60s by Sunday.

It’s also expected to be mostly sunny, with partly cloudy skies on Sunday and rain on Monday.

Send us your weather news and photos, if you have them, to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post them here.

 

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Cobb begins thawing out from winter storm: Thursday mid-day closings, weather, roads, schools update

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NWS Snowfall Map, Cobb winter storm

As temperatures climbed toward freezing this morning, Cobb County government offices and libraries opened, and road clean-up continued, aided by some very welcome sunshine.

Late last night, Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt said that around 200 accident calls were reported to county 911 dispatchers within the first 24 hours of the storm, including 15 stranded motorists, 10 hit-and-run incidents and two needing fire extrication from their vehicles.

No serious injuries have been reported, but the roads are still icy and slushy in some places.

Earlier this morning Cobb DOT said there were 50 reports of black ice throughout the county overnight:

Most major roads in good shape but side streets, especially those in shade, remain problematic. Be safe if you are venturing out. Fortunately traffic is light.

If you’re a CobbLinc rider, local and paratransit service began at noon, but XPress bus services are cancelled today.

Temperatures could reach the high 30s or even 40 by mid afternoon, with lows tonight and overnight falling back into the mid-to-low 20s.

Then it’s getting warmer starting Friday, and for most of next week. Friday’s highs could get into the low 50s and by Sunday we could get into the high 60s.

Related story

We a few updates about openings, closings, cancellations and postponements from East Cobb businesses, faith communities and other organizations beyond what was posted on the link just above, but we’ll keep adding to this list below during the afternoon.

We’ll also update with news about whether Cobb schools will have classes Friday. They’re closed again today, and today’s school board meetings have been postponed to next Thursday.

We’ll also be catching up with some other news that we’ve been wanting to post here the last couple days—and there’s a lot going on to share in East Cobb—starting later today and tomorrow as well.

Thursday openings

  • Transfiguration Catholic Church
  • XenGo Fusion Kitchen & Sushi
  • The Avenue East Cobb
  • Ted’s Montana Grill
  • Johnny’s New York Pizza
  • Book Exchange
  • St. Andrew UMC, at 1 p.m.
  • Once and Again Books
  • The Art Place-Mountain View, at 1 p.m.
  • East Cobb and NE Cobb YMCA open until 7 p.m.

Thursday closings/cancellations

  • Tonight’s Walton PTSA open house and general meeting
  • All practices/activities for East Marietta Basketball
  • The Cobb Watershed Stewardship program’s Privet Pull Mob for this afternoon at Noonday Creek Park

Send your weather news and photos and we’ll post it here: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

 

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Cobb schools closed Thursday; latest East Cobb closings, cancellations, delayed openings and more

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With a forecast of more sub-freezing temperatures tonight and overnight, Cobb schools will be closed again on Thursday.

The Cobb County School District said the closure is for students and staff for the second day in a row.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools closed Thursday

The Cobb Board of Education work session and regular meeting, both scheduled for Thursday, have been postponed to next Thursday, Jan. 25.

A state of emergency declared by Gov. Nathan Deal for 83 counties in Georgia, including Cobb, remains in effect.

Temperatures are expected to dip back into the teens tonight and overnight, as any snow and ice that melted today will refreeze and create black ice.

Weather conditions may not reach above freezing in Cobb until Thursday afternoon. Here’s what Cobb County government posted earlier Wednesday afternoon:

Bill Shelton, Cobb County DOT Road Maintenance Director, says crews are restocking supplies of gravel for what will be a long day and night of treating roads. “I don’t see conditions on the roads changing much overnight,” Shelton said. “Even when the temperature gets above freezing Thursday, shady spots and low-lying areas will not thaw out. So we will keep running routes and treat all those areas to make sure roads are safe.”

Shelton says so far Cobb DOT crews have;
– Put down 3400 gallons of brine before the snow started,
– Used 300 tons of salt and 1200 tons of gravel since the snow fell,
– Eight trucks continuously running routes, with others restocking material.

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Thursday Closings

  • The Walker School;
  • Mt. Bethel Christian Academy;
  • The Wood Acres School;
  • Eastside Christian School;
  • All campuses of Kennesaw State University;
  • Nobis Works Center;
  • Gracepoint School;
  • St. Catherine’s Episcopal preschool;

Thursday Cancellations

  • Morning sessions at Studio 348 for Women cancelled. Afternoon sessions still scheduled;

Thursday Postponements

  • East Cobb Middle School PTSA meeting and volunteer appreciation scheduled for Thursday will be held Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 6 p.m. in the ECMS Media Center;
  • Primrose School at East Cobb’s parent information meeting tonight at 6:30, was scheduled for Camps Kitchen & Bar, rescheduled to Sunday, Jan. 28 at 3:30 p.m. at the same venue;

Thursday delayed openings

  • Cobb County Government, 10 a.m. Thursday; Cobb libraries 11 a.m.;
  • Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, 10 a.m. Thursday;
  • East Cobb and Northeast Cobb YMCA, 10 a.m. Thursday (tentative);
  • St. Ann Catholic Church parish office, 10 a.m. Thursday. No 6:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. Mass services;
  • Mansouri Family Dental Care, noon-5:30 p.m.;
  • Olde Towne Athletic Club, opening at noon;
  • Atlanta Swim Academy, opening at 1 p.m., all morning classes cancelled.

We’ll be continuously updating other closings, cancellations, postponements and road and weather news for the rest of your Wednesday afternoon and evening here.

Send your weather news and photos and we’ll post it here: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

 

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Wednesday winter weather update: Cobb government closed; motorists asked not to travel as roads remain icy; closures, delayed openings and more

by
Winter Storm, Jan. 17, 2018
Many areas of East Cobb got a half-inch to an inch of snow Tuesday; temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until Thursday.

Here’s your mid-day Wednesday Cobb winter weather update, and we’ll keep adding more information as we get it the rest of the afternoon:

Cobb County government offices will be closed all day today because of the icy road conditions, and with temperatures not expected to rise out of the 20s.

That includes courts, public libraries and all CobbLinc bus service. Late last night county officials had indicated a delayed starting time of 10 a.m., but road conditions have made it hazardous to travel, as ice is packed under snow.

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Accidents are taking place in many areas; Marietta Police said this morning that at least 15 accidents have taken place in the city, and that number is expected to climb. There’s no word yet on major accidents in the East Cobb area, but we will update any information that becomes available.

Any roads with melting ice are expected to refreeze tonight, and crews will be back out treating major routes. The Cobb Commute link has updates on roads that have been treated.

Cobb government sent out this message via social media earlier this morning:

Cobb DOT crews spent the night treating roadways and crews continue to work the roads, now on their second run over their countywide routes. But as the snowfall moves out, the number of accidents in the county has increased, with police reporting some hills and bridges impassable.

County officials will get more updates from the DOT crews and make a determination later today when to resume operations.

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After Tuesday’s snow, temperatures fell dramatically below freezing. Cobb DOT had work crews out all night and into the morning, but because of icy conditions and sub-freezing temperatures into Thursday afternoon, motorists are advised not to get out on to the roads unless they have to.

As of 11 a.m. Cobb schools have not communicated any new information, including whether there will be classes on Thursday.

As of this writing the temperatures are in the mid teens in East Cobb, with highs projected only in the low to mid-20s. Lows tonight are forecast to fall back into the teens, with highs in the 40s expected on Thursday, but not until the afternoon.

East Cobb News will continue to update this post during the day with the latest information about closures, cancellations, postponements and other weather-related news.

Send your weather news, and photos if you have them, to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post them.

What follows below are the latest closings/delayed openings/cancellations/postponements from this morning, not including those we posted last night on the link above:

Closings

  • Mass and all activities at Holy Family Catholic Church
  • Dog City Bakery
  • Haven, The Dog Spot
  • Tritt Animal Hospital
  • Rescued Too
  • Johnny’s New York Pizza
  • Ronald Sachs Violins
  • East Cobb and Northeast Cobb YMCA
  • All activities at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation
  • LGE Community Credit Union
  • All Fidelity Bank branches
  • Kids’ Zone Daycare and Learning Center
  • Club Pilates East Cobb
  • Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
  • Montrose Animal Hospital
  • Studio 348 for Women
  • Book Nook Marietta
  • Office and activities at St. Andrew UMC
  • Peace Love and Pizza
  • All activities at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church
  • Gigi’s Cupcakes
  • Once & Again Books Shallowford
  • Cat Clinic of Cobb
  • Book Exchange
  • Chick-fil-A Lassiter
  • All activities at Eastminster Presbyterian Church
  • Offices and all acitivities at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
  • Intrigue Salon
  • Kids Kuts Salon
  • Atlanta Swim Academy
  • Three-13 Salon
  • Righteous Que
  • Free-Flite Bicycles
  • Mansouri Family Dental Care
  • All activities at Eastside Baptist Church
  • Parisian Nail Salon
  • Massage Heights East Cobb

Openings

  • Zaxby’s Lower Roswell Road, 11 a.m.
  • Muss & Turner East Cobb, noon
  • Frankie’s Italian restaurant, Roswell Road
  • Loyal Q, 11 a.m.
  • Winston’s Food and Spirits
  • Terrell Mill Animal Hospital, 10 a.m.
  • Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square, open until 4 p.m.
  • Marietta Donuts, open until 5 p.m.
  • Marietta Fish Market, 4 p.m. depending on road conditions
  • Chick-fil-A East Lake
  • The Wing Cafe and Tap House
  • WellStar East Cobb Health Park
  • Marietta Ice Center revised schedule for public skating sessions: 1:15-3:15 p.m.; 3:30-6 p.m.; 6:15-8:45 p.m.

Cancellations

  • East Cobb UMC Wednesday Night Supper

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