As we recently reported, intermittent lane closures are underway associated with the Lower Roswell Road project on either side of Johnson Ferry Road.
Currently the multi-direction turn lane on Lower Roswell Road, just east of the Johnson Ferry intersection, is closed as work crews are on the scene.
They’re directing traffic in multiple directions, including vehicles turning eastbound out of the businesses along the north side of Lower Roswell.
That turn lane will be converted to a median between Johnson Ferry and Davidson Road as a major component of the project, as Cobb DOT said it is essential to improving safety in the corridor.
The median was the subject of concern from some of those business owners as well as the public.
Also, if you’re heading southbound on Johnson Ferry and attempting to turn left (eastbound) on Lower Roswell, one of the two turn lanes is closed for the time being.
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From today’s story: “First phase of Lower Roswell Road project gets underway”
Actually, the first phase was he stretch of LRR from Timber Ridge to Davidson Road. About 3 miles at $8 million.
The Second Phase was the replacement of the bridge at LRR and Timber Ridge, about $2 million. The roundabout at that location was not planned but was added to phase 1 & 2.
The current project is Phase 3.
Phase 4 will be the part of Johnson Ferry Rd from LRR to the bridge ocross the river.
All of this is part of a regional master plan that no one will discuss. In fact, Cobb DOT denies that there is any such master plan.
The master plan is a huge regional bicycle trail network. Cobb is piecemealing it together to avoid attracting attention. The total cost is horrendous. No one knows, and no one wants to know, what the total cost of this will eventually be. Adding bike lanes and ten foot wide sidewalks along the lower section of Johnson Ferry Rd. will be very expensive as it is difficult topography and lots of additional right-of-way will be needed. No one cares what it costs.
You can search Sandy Springs Trail Plan and others to see how he network is evolving. Drive around and note where yellow “Share the Road” signs appear in places where no rational person would dare ride a bike. Lower Johnson Ferry Rd has signs but none north of LRR. LRR has signs west of the current project, near the intersection with Paper Mill.
It will take years but government will persist.
All the funding comes from federal sources through ARC, some state funding, and local city and county sources, such as SPLOST. All the funding is from “Tranportation” accounts. That’s “Transportation funds that will not be spent on roads that will help peomple actually get around.
Sandy-Springs-Trail-Master-Plan
4 Implementation Strategy
4.1 Trail Funding
As public sentiment turns more favorable toward trail development, the challenge of funding planning, design, and construction of trails becomes far less challenging than in previous years.
Safe, inviting places to walk and bike are the favored amenity of most communities now.
It is strongly recommended that every effort be made to identify funding locally for developing initial trail phases rather than relying on funding from Washington.
The use of federal funding should be programmed several years in advance for extending the initial phases of the system.
Every effort to build trails should be a public-private partnership.
Philanthropic dollars can accelerate delivery of initial trail phases which helps breed success.