I-75 Southbound near Terrell Mill Road after the lanes were reopened around 11:30 a.m. Friday (Ga. DOT camera)
UPDATED, 5:45 P.M.:
Marietta Police say the man they took into custody on the interstate is suspected of an armed robbery at the customer service desk of the Walmart store at 201 Cobb Parkway South, near the Big Chicken.
Police said the suspect fled the scene before they arrived, but they were able to get a description from a video surveillance camera at the store and learned he left in a gray Honda Civic.
A Marietta officer discovered a vehicle fitting the description and initiated a traffic stop on I-75, and the driver ultimately pulled over on the shoulder near Windy Hill Road, police said.
Police said that because they thought the suspect was armed, they didn’t approach the vehicle, and began negotiations with him by phone.
That’s why they decided to shut down the southbound lanes, and a standoff took place lasting more than an hour.
More from MPD:
After negotiating attempts failed, members from the Marietta SWAT Team approached the vehicle and the driver was removed and taken into custody without injury/incident.
The male, who is not being identified at this time, is currently at a local hospital receiving a full medical evaluation.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
If you’ve been stuck in a miles-long logjam on Interstate 75 southbound in Cobb County this morning, you’re free to move about.
But it may take the rest of the afternoon to clear up traffic that was tied up for more than an hour due to police activity.
All southbound lanes were shut down at I-285 for more than an hour due to what Marietta Police initially described as “a traffic stop with an armed non compliant driver.”
The motorist is believed to be a suspect in an armed robbery at a Walmart store on Cobb County in Marietta.
The driver pulled over on the shoulder on I-75 and a standoff with police ensued, and the suspect was taken into custody. Some southbound traffic was diverted onto Windy Hill Road.
Possible detours around the congestion include the managed lanes and Atlanta Road, but Cobb Parkway also figures to feel the brunt of the traffic clear-up.
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Eric Meyer, Cobb DOT’s planning division manager, recently outlined the Comprehensive Transportation Plan process at the Sewell Mill Library. (ECN photos)
In April and May several town halls will take place for what’s known as Cobb Forward—the county’s comprehensive transportation plan (CTP) for 2050.
It’s a joint effort involving Cobb County government and its counterparts in the county’s six municipalities. A CTP was last done in 2015, but a number of developments since then have led to calls to create a new transportation vision for the county.
They include a referendum for expanding transit and the county government’s next SPLOST referendum in 2022.
Two of those CTP meetings will take place in East Cobb:
Thursday, April 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m., East Cobb Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road;
Tuesday, May 7, 7-9 p.m., East Cobb Senior Center, 3332 Sandy Plains Road.
The purpose of the Cobb Forward meetings, per the county, is to develop a series of project lists, some of which would be funded with SPLOST sales tax revenues.
Transit recommendations also will come out of the countywide meetings this spring, some to be included in the new Atlanta Transit Link Authority (The ATL), which includes a 13-county area.
The Cobb meetings also will get underway in the aftermath of a referendum Tuesday in Gwinnett, where voters will decide on whether to join MARTA.
Cobb and Gwinnett were notable holdouts when the the MARTA system was created in the early 1970s and which serves Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties.
At a recent Cobb budget town hall meeting at the Sewell Mill Library, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce answered questions about some of transit and transportation issues.
He’s seeking legislation this year to allow Cobb to push back a transit referendum to 2022. That vote would decide whether a special transit district would be created out of a portion of the county (South Cobb) or all of it.
That referendum, if approved, would add a penny sales tax in Cobb earmarked for transit funding.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce
Cobb voters also will be deciding on SPLOST extension in 2020 for a new collection period beginning in 2022. The current SPLOST, which includes funding for transportation and other capital improvements, ends Dec. 31, 2021.
That’s a six-cent sales tax. Four cents go to the state, another is earmarked for Cobb and Marietta schools and the other for county government.
Boyce said an extension would be shorter.
“It won’t be six years,” he said. “I support four years, [Cobb] mayors like five years. This county is doing so well that in six years, we’re going to have a lot of money laying around. You don’t want to do that with politicians around.”
While the SPLOST process is relatively straightforward, hammering out potential transit options figures is more involved.
“It’s going to be long and complicated,” Boyce said.
A county transit survey that was released late last year indicated that a majority of Cobb voters would approve of an additional penny tax for transit expansion. That includes East Cobb, where the only CobbLinc bus line runs down Powers Ferry Road.
Like the SPLOST referendum, the transit referendum also will include a detailed project list and public hearings on what may constitute a future transit plan, said Eric Meyer, the Cobb DOT’s planning division manager.
“Tell us what you will support,” he said. “That’s why this is going to take three years.”
Among the transportation options for Cobb are bus rapid transit, rapid bus, heavy rail and light rail. The financing options could be joining MARTA, connecting with MARTA, expanding service with the sales tax mentioned above, or maintaining the status quo.
The other Cobb Forward town hall schedule this spring is as follows:
Wednesday, April 10, 7-9 p.m., West Cobb Senior Center, 4915 Dallas Highway;
Wednesday, April 17, 7-9 p.m., Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle;
Monday, April 29, 7-9 p.m., Cobb Senior Wellness Center, 1150 Powder Springs St.;
Thursday, May 2, 7-9 p.m., Acworth Community Center, 4361 Cherokee St.;
Wednesday, May 8, 7-9 p.m., Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive;
Thursday, May 9, 7-9 p.m., South Cobb Community Center, 620 Lions Club Drive.
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At around noon the National Weather Service in Atlanta expanded its flash flood watch to include Cobb County and other parts of the metro area until 7 p.m. Thursday.
Wednesday morning provided a bit of a respite from the rain, if not weather-related traffic issues, but more rain is expected tonight and Thursday.
The NWS said the areas with the most saturation from yesterday’s rain are above the I-20 and along the I-85 corridors.
The road has reopened, but there may be occasional lane closures to clear debris.
Original report, 8:15 AM:
This just in from Cobb government:
Paper Mill Road is closed between Woodlawn Drive and the Atlanta Country Club due to a downed tree.
Crews are on the scene for removal.
It’s among several downed trees affecting the morning commute around the county.
There were also reports that Willeo Road was closed at the Lower Roswell Road roundabout due to debris on road just over the Chattahoochee River in Roswell., but that area has also reopened to traffic.
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The I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes will be closed to traffic for routine maintenance beginning 11:30 PM, Friday, February 15 until 11:30 AM, Saturday, February 16. The lanes will reopen in the southbound direction.
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UPDATED 2:28 P.M.: The intersection has reopened and traffic lights are “operating normally,” Cobb Police said.
ORIGINAL STORY, 2:02 P.M.:
This just in from Cobb Police: Traffic lights are out and power lines are down at Lower Roswell Road and Woodlawn Drive, and the intersection is closed for “at least 30 minutes” while repairs are made.
Cobb Fire and Cobb DOT are also on the scene.
Heavy rains swept through the East Cobb area after 1 p.m. Tuesday as a storm line was pulling through west and north Georgia for the rest of the afternoon.
Severe weather warnings have been posted for other parts of the state.
The rain is expected to continue into the evening in the Cobb area, with temperatures dipping into the mid 30s.
Wednesday will be sunny and colder, with highs in the low 50s. Rain will return on Thursday night.
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The Cobb County School District and Cobb government both sent messages out around noon Monday that they will be closed Tuesday, due to a winter storm that’s headed to metro Atlanta and north Georgia.
Their decisions came after Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held a joint news conference, announcing that state government in the storm area, as well as Georgia’s largest city, would be closing on Tuesday.
Other metro Atlanta governments and school districts also have announced closures for Tuesday, including Marietta City Schools.
State government offices in 35 counties, including Cobb, will be closed on Tuesday, according to Kemp.
The area is bracing for cold, wet weather starting later Monday evening and lasting through Tuesday night.
Monday afternoon, the NWS upgraded that status to a winter storm warning, including Cobb, from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Travel could be hazardous due to snow and ice accumulations, including black ice.
Cobb schools spokeswoman Nan Kiel said the following in a statement:
“Knowing that it interrupts the school day and the education process, we did not make this decision lightly. However, given that our District serves more than 112,000 students and their families, as well as 18,000 staff members, and that the safety of our students and staff are paramount, we chose to act on the side of safety.
“The District will continue monitoring the situation, with an eye towards the condition of our roads, and we’ll be sure to update the community further by 5 pm Tuesday evening.”
All events and activities scheduled at schools also have been cancelled or postponed.
Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt said the county’s shutdown will begin at 6 a.m. Tuesday, and will reopen depending on when conditions improve. County Manager Rob Hosack said in a statement:
“With a great deal of uncertainty about the timing and amount of snow, we thought this proactive action would be best to ensure the safety of Cobb County workers.”
Cobb DOT crews will be on the job overnight and into Tuesday, Cavitt said, preparing equipment and pre-treating roads starting around sunrise.
Cavitt said the crews will work in 12-hour shifts until the weather event is over, using a salt-sand mixture to treat “known trouble-spots,” especially around curves and on bridges and overpasses.
Other closings
We’re compiling closings of other schools, businesses and organizations and any cancellations or postponements of events for Tuesday. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com with your information:
St. Catherine’s Episcopal preschool closed;
Catholic Church of St. Ann closed;
Transfiguration Catholic Church closed;
Wood Acres School closed;
Primrose School East Cobb closed;
Faith Lutheran School closed;
Mt. Bethel Christian Academy closed;
Orange Theory Fitness Sandy Plains and Marietta-East Cobb opening 3:30 p.m.;
Thrive Wellness Center closed;
Mt. Zion UMC closed;
Wesley Chapel UMC basketball cancelled;
Johnson Ferry Christian Academy closed;
Eastside Christian School closed;
The Walker School closed;
East Cobb Tutoring Center closed;
Mansouri Family Dental Care closed;
East Cobb and NE Cobb YMCA closing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, all group exercise programs before 4 are scheduled (subject to cancelletion), all paid programs are cancelled;
East Cobb Business Association Community Breakfast postponed;
MUST Ministries program centers in Marietta, Smyrna and Canton and main donation center closed;
All locations Marietta Eye Clinic closed, including Marietta Eye Surgery;
Dentistry at East Piedmont closing at 12 p.m.;
Olde Towne Athletic Club closed;
Weather forecast
The forecast calls for Cobb to get around an inch of snow, with temperatures reaching as high as the low 40s during the day on Tuesday, but dropping to around 20 degrees on Tuesday night.
Monday is the five-year anniversary of a winter storm that crippled metro Atlanta, stranding thousands of motorists and forcing some students, teachers and staff to shelter overnight in schools.
Monday is also the first full day of Super Bowl-related activities in the Atlanta area.
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At 3:40 p.m. Friday Cobb DOT said Paper Mill Road between Woodlawn Drive and the Sope Creek Bridge will be closed to through traffic “for the next few hours” because of downed power lines.
Cobb Police said around 1 p.m. that a portion of Davidson Road near Lower Roswell Road is closed, and could be for a while, after a semi truck knocked out a power pole.
The police alert said Georgia Power crews were on the scene to make repairs to the pole and electrical lines, which are located near the Goodwill store.
That’s on Davidson Road, right behind Parkaire Landing Shopping Center, and a number of businesses there and in the surrounding area are without power for now.
Police said the closure could last as long as eight hours, and traffic is being diverted through parking lots.
UPDATED, 3:33 P.M.: Cobb DOT says Davidson Road will be closed through the Tuesday afternoon rush hour. They’ve got the area of the road around the truck blocked off by cones and barricades.
This story will be updated.
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The rain projected for Thursday and Friday didn’t amount to much at all, at least in Cobb County, where the only road still shut down from last week’s storms has now reopened.
Around 6 p.m. Cobb government announced that Columns Drive, located off Johnson Ferry Road and along the Chattahoochee River, has been reopened to traffic.
For the last week, it was shut down between Atlanta Country Club Drive and Willow Knoll Drive after heavy rains left the area heavily saturated.
As the Cobb DOT photos show, the standing water remained due largely to clogged drains.
Cobb government said rangers from the nearby Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, furloughed due to the partial federal government shutdown, helped clear up a clogged drain at the end of Columns Drive.
Crews also had to clear away a beaver-caused clog, and that helped drain away a good bit of water.
Cobb had been under a flash flood watch through Friday, but very little rain occurred after the morning.
Sunshine is in the forecast for the weekend, with partly cloudy skies and highs in the high 50s on Saturday.
Sunday will be sunny with highs in the mid 60s.
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The purchase of three parcels of land on Canton Road for a new Cobb Fire Station 12 is on the Cobb Board of Commissioners agenda next Tuesday.
The current station, located at 810 Brackett Road in the Shaw Park area, is 55 years old. It’s one of four stations in the Northeast Cobb area but the only one serving the Canton Road corridor.
On the agenda is a request to purchase property located at 3852, 3592, and 3686 Canton Road owned by Chastain, LLC, and to be assembled with a parcel at 3587 Centerview Drive, which also is on the agenda.
According to the agenda item, the total purchase price for the three Canton Road properties is $1.1 million. They are located on the east side of Canton Road, between Kensington Drive and Chastain Corners Road.
The purchase price for the Centerview Drive property, currently owned by the Cochran Family Trust, is $263,000.
The cost to construct a new facility is estimated to be $4.1 million.
Also on Tuesday’s meeting agenda is a request from Cobb DOT to condemn four parcels of land for the planned Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector. DOT says that while negotiations continue with property owners, condemnation is needed for right of way acquisition if talks fall through.
The four parcels are 1.4 acres at 1557 Terrell Mill Road (Forest Ridge at Terrell Mill Apartments), and 1,206 square feet each at three townhomes located at 1631 Turnberry Lane, 1617 Turnberry Lane and 1613 Turnberry Lane.
The land is located near the northern portion of the road project, close to its intersection with Terrell Mill Road.
It would be the second such condemnation of property in the path of the Connector, an 0.8-mile stretch. Commissioners voted in November to condemn portions of apartment complexes near Windy Hill Road.
Tuesday’s meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room at the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta. The full meeting agenda can be found here.
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Another week, and another flash flood watch has been issued for Cobb, metro Atlanta and much of north Georgia. Last week’s rains closed Columns Drive in East Cobb, and it’s expected to remain closed through at least Friday.
That’s the word coming from Cobb DOT, which is still clearing out flooded areas along Columns Drive between Atlanta Country Club Drive and Willow Knoll Drive.
A message sent out this morning by Cobb commissioner Bob Ott said that Cobb DOT is working with contractors to pump out remaining water on Columns Drive, which borders along the Chattahoochee River and is mostly residential. It provides access points for several apartment complexes as well as trails in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
“Please do not drive past the barricades, your interruption slows their effort in the area. And some drivers have caused private property damage by driving onto their neighbor’s yards,” Ott said.
Cobb will be under a flash flood watch starting at 7 p.m. Thursday through Friday evening. The National Weather Service is forecasting between 1-2 inches of rain, and possibly more in some areas. Those areas that were saturated with last week’s rains are more prone to flooding again.
The chance of rain Thursday is 70 percent, and 90 percent tonight and on Friday. The rain is supposed to taper off on Friday night and sunny skies will return on Saturday and through the weekend and into the first of next week.
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Cobb County government issued a notice around 12:30 p.m. today that Columns Drive, which meets Johnson Ferry Road at the Chattahoochee River, has been closed due to flooding.
The specific area of Columns Drive that is closed is between Willow Knoll Drive and Atlanta Country Club Drive.
Cobb DOT also closed Woodland Brook in Vinings, where a woman in a van had to be rescued after being stranded in high water.
Cobb officials also said areas of the Chattahoochee near Roswell, including East Cobb boundaries, also are vulnerable to flooding. This morning motorists were advised not to travel along Willeo Road along the Chattahoochee, close to where it meets Timber Ridge Road in East Cobb.
A flood warning was issued for several stretches along the Chattahoochee in Cobb, including that stretch near Roswell.
After being in a flash flood watch area, Cobb is now under a flood warning, following storms Thursday night and Friday morning, that brought between 2-4 inches of rain to the area.
The warning is due to expire around 3:15 today, but the National Weather Service said flooding issues from the rains will linger through the rest of today. Here’s more from the NWS warning, which was issued around 1:30 p.m., and specifically about the flooding near Vinings:
At 12PM Friday the stage was 18.5 feet and and rising.
Flood stage is 14.0 feet.
Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands and affects large portions of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Cobb Parkway. The flood waters will be around 3 feet deep over portions of the access road to the recreation area. Portions of the parking lot will begin to flood.
This crest compares to a previous crest of 17.9 feet on Oct 12 2009.
A flash flood watch continues for Cobb, metro Atlanta and much of north Georgia until 7 a.m. Saturday.
More thunderstorms are expected later this weekend and into New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
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If you’re planning on using the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes over the next week or so, here is the holiday schedule Georgia DOT has put together:
Dec. 24-25: Operate northbound
Dec. 25, 11 p.m.: Reverse to southbound
Dec. 26-28: Normal operations
Dec. 28, 11 p.m.: Reverse to southbound
Operate southbound until Dec. 31, 11:30 a.m.
Dec. 28-31: Operate southbound at 11:30 a.m.
Dec. 31: Normal operations
Jan. 1: Operate northbound
Jan. 1, 11 p.m.: reverse to southbound
Jan. 2: Return to normal schedule
There also will be no lane closures for ongoing Georgia DOT construction projects during much of the holiday period.
There’s a no lane closure period going on now that began on Saturday, and that will continue through Wednesday.
Some construction work and lane closures will resume from Thursday through Saturday.
No closures will also be in effect starting at 6 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, and continuing through 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2.
For up-to-date information about travel conditions on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, call 511 or visit www.511ga.org before heading out on the roads.
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Bill Shelton, Cobb DOT road maintenance director, and members of the newly hired District 2 work crew. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
One of the additions to the county budget with this year’s tax increase was the hiring of dedicated road employees in each of the four commissioners districts. The Cobb DOT District 2 work crew has been fully staffed and already at work performing mowing and clean-up duties.
They were introduced by commissioner Bob Ott Monday at his town hall meeting at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center. They are: Skip Vaccaro, equipment operator; John Allen, crew worker; Andrew Eison, crew leader; Shamond Williams, crew worker; and Todriquez Huey, equipment operator.
They’ve already completed some big tasks, including collecting 32 bags of litter on Atlanta Road last week (Cobb DOT photo below).
When Ott showed that photo to the audience, there was a burst of applause. He and other commissioners commented during the summer budget hearings that citizens were complaining frequently about unmowed medians and rights-of-way.
Since the recession, the county has hired a contractor to do that work. But that was done only for six months, from the spring to the fall. The $1.4 million the county is spending for work crews in the FY 2019 budget is a bit more than the $1.1 million annually it paid the contractor, but now the work will be performed year-round.
Bill Shelton, the Cobb DOT road maintenance director, told the audience that Ott “has been a champion” of making a change to hire in-house crews, who started working two weeks ago with the new budget year kicking in.
“We can do it a lot better, and these guys are already proving it to you,” Shelton said, referring to the District 2 crew.
Said Ott: “I am very confident the decision to hire crews will result in saving tax dollars and most of all improve the aesthetics of all county right of ways.”
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Wednesday night’s heavy rains, the product of Hurricane Michael, produced around three inches across the county, according to an update sent out by Cobb government late this morning.
Cobb DOT crews were dealing with around a dozen downed trees, including one on Tondee Court in Northeast Cobb, and some flooding on roads that has been cleaned up.
There was a brief tornado warning in Cobb early Wednesday evening, mostly for the southern part of the county. Some estimates had around six inches of rain in the Powder Springs area.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Powder Springs Creek, which was at 11 feet, what’s considered flood stage.
Cobb schools were in session as usual Thursday, after operations and transportation crews made a check of facilities and roads starting around 3 a.m. Schools were closing around the lunch hour and for the rest of the day for a previously scheduled early release for staff development.
Cobb DOT is urging motorists that if they approach a traffic signal that is not working, to treat the intersection as a four-way stop.
Georgia Power is saying that if you see a downed or low-hanging electric wire, don’t touch it. That includes cable TV lines. Instead call 1-888-891-0938 or dial 911 to report downed power lines.
Georgia Power is reporting only a small number of outages in metro Atlanta; most are in areas of south and central Georgia hit hard by hurricane-force winds as Michael moved up from the Florida Panhandle.
A good bit of central and south Georgia was under a tropical storm warning and flash flood watch this morning as clean-up has gotten underway. Those warnings have been cancelled.
President Trump this morning declared a state of emergency for Georgia, meaning impacted areas could receive federal aid for clean-up. Gov. Deal declared a state of emergency for 108 counties before the storm hit.
The National Weather Service issued this information this morning:
Do not go sightseeing within impacted communities. Sightseers interfere with the emergency work of first responders.
When clearing out fallen trees, be careful with chainsaws and axes. Always wear protective gear and keep others at a safe distance. Leaning trees and those which have fallen on roofs or power lines can be especially dangerous. If you are not in good health or unsure about what you are doing, have someone with tree cutting experience do the job. Never cut trees without a partner.
The sun came out late this morning in Cobb, and some fall-like temperatures are expected for the rest of the week, with highs in the 70s.
Tonight’s lows could dip into the 40s.
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If you use the top end of Holt Road in the late afternoons, Thursday is going to be a no-go for you, because of the Wheeler homecoming parade.
That’s because it will be closed, from the intersection of Robinson Road to the Wheeler High School area, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Wheeler PTSA is sending out a message that if you’re going to be a parade-watcher, you should park in the Wheeler bus lanes.
The parade starts at 6 p.m.
After the parade, there will be food trucks, games and other activities across the street in the old East Cobb Middle School parking lot.
The Wildcats’ game on Friday with region rival Newnan, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. is special for more than just homecoming purposes.
Coach Mike Collins’ team is 5-0 on the season and is No. 9 this week in the GeorgiaSports Writers Association Class 7A state rankings.
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Continued from last week are road closures along Sandy Plains Road posted here previously, and announced by commissioner JoAnn Birrell’s office.
This week’s closures are in the northbound lanes of Sandy Plains, between Kinjac Drive and Ebenezer Road, from 9 a.m. To 2:30 p.m. weekdays through Friday.
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Cobb DOT is reminding motorists about Sandy Plains Road lane closures that will be in effect next week:
Beginning Monday, Sept. 24, utility relocation work will reduce Sandy Plains Road to one lane for traffic traveling in both directions between Ebenezer Road and Kinjac Drive, north of Piedmont Road. The shift is expected to remain in place no later than Sunday, Sept. 30. However, completion of this work is dependent upon favorable weather conditions.
Signage and traffic control devices will be positioned to guide motorists. Drivers are advised to take Canton Road or Holly Springs Road and should reduce their speed and exercise caution in the area.
This utility work comes as part of a 2011 SPLOST road safety and operational improvements project for 8-mile-long Sandy Plains Road, where a raised median is present in all areas except between Kinjac Drive and Ebenezer Road. The project will add a median, as well as left and right turn lanes, to this road segment.
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Just a reminder that this Saturday is the EAST COBBER parade, which means that one of the busiest parts of Johnson Ferry Road will be closed for a few hours.
Johnson Ferry between Roswell Road and Lower Roswell Road will be closed to all traffic between 9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
The parade route stretches southbound from Princeton Lakes Drive to the entrance to the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church ball fields parking lot (at Olde Towne Parkway).
The parade starts at 10 a.m., with the parade participants marching down the southbound lane.
The festival follows from around 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the ball fields parking lot.
Admission to both components of the event is free.
We’ll have more in a separate post about weekend events, but here’s a link to parade and festival activities.
Key: Black stars are road closure points; red stars mark the parade route; blue star is festival site. Map source: OpenStreetMap
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Late this morning the Georgia Department of Transportation announced that the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes have opened.
As we noted earlier this week, through Monday morning the reversible toll lanes along I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee will be open only in the southbound direction.
They’ll be made available for northbound traffic for the first time for the Monday afternoon rush hour. Here are the access points that will be available for East Cobb commuters:
I-285 at Akers Mill Road
I-75 at Terrell Mill Road
I-75 at Roswell Road
I-575 at Shallowford Road
Using any part of the 29.2-mile stretch of managed lanes is free until Sept. 22, but you have to have a Peach Pass to use them. Here’s how to sign up(the initial fee is $20) and get more information about the dynamic pricing system.
If you want to purchase a Peach Pass in person, they are being sold at the Georgia Department of Driver Services, 3690 Old Highway 41, in Kennesaw. The hours are Tuesday-Friday from 7:30 a.m to 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
The minimum charge to travel on the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes is 10 cents a mile from 5 a.m. to midnight. Overnight, from midnight to 5 a.m., the cost is a flat 50 cents per trip.
Georgia DOT estimates that more than 220,000 vehicles use I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee every day.
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