Tuesday's Tour & Tip
Roadwork Money en Route
The national transportation bill awaiting President Bush's signature provides $43 million for projects on the Northside, including money to fix one of metro Atlanta's worst traffic bottlenecks and more to rebuild a major I-285 interchange in Cobb County.
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who lives in Marietta, said the federal money will address our "single greatest need."
"This legislation is critical to Georgia," he said, "because it will provide our state with the tools necessary to improve and expand its surface transportation infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing population."
The legislation includes $4.5 million to widen Johnson Ferry Road and Glenridge Drive from Abernathy Road to Hammond Drive in Sandy Springs, a project that will benefit commuters in Cobb and Fulton counties.
The project will eliminate a notorious bottleneck where traffic on six-lane Johnson Ferry Road in east Cobb is reduced to two lanes in Fulton County. The work is part of a larger state and federal project that also will widen nearby Abernathy Road and create a linear park along a section of the highway.
Cobb a big winner
Cobb County was a big winner among metro Atlanta counties in its quest for federal dollars, getting a third of the $92 million in funding to the area. Cobb is in line to receive more than $31 million for road construction and other projects in the six-year federal transportation bill.
More than half of Cobb's money -- $18 million -- will be used to design and build a new interchange at Atlanta Road and I-285.
It is expected to cost $30 million to $35 million, so the federal appropriation won't be enough to complete the project, said Cobb Transportation Director David Montanye. Cobb officials have the interchange on the list of projects to be paid for by a special 1 percent local sales tax if voters approve it Sept. 20.
If the tax vote fails, Montanye said, the county will have to come up with more funds to complete the work, which will include rebuilding the interchange to eliminate left turns and allow continuous traffic to and from Atlanta Road and I-285.
Officials hope to begin right-of-way acquisition for the new interchange next year.
Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said the county got more projects approved for funding because federal transportation officials favor projects that reach across county lines.
"So much of our request had a regional component, and it really affected the federal dollars," Olens said. "From my perception, when you have regional linkage, you score higher."
In Fulton County, the city of Alpharetta will receive $4.8 million for work on Westside Parkway, but there is some confusion about what part of the project will get the funding.
Design work is under way on widening and realigning Westside between Sanctuary Parkway in Alpharetta and Mansell Road in Roswell, as well as between Kimball Bridge and Windward Parkway.
City officials said they had been told that the funding might be restricted to the northern section. That restriction could be removed, but if it is not, Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas said, money approved by voters to pay for the northern section could be reallocated to pay for work on the southern end.
When complete, the road will provide a third north-south route from Roswell through Alpharetta. The others are Ga. 400 and Ga. 9. Estimates have suggested the road could cut commuting times on Ga. 400 by as much as six minutes.
Top Perimeter fixes
The legislation also provides $3 million for work on the interchange at I-285 and Ashford Dunwoody Road in DeKalb County. The improvements will add lanes to increase traffic capacity and improve traffic flow.
In Cobb County, Smyrna received three separate $1 million appropriations.
One is for improving railroad crossings to create a "railroad quiet zone" so that trains do not have to sound their whistles at crossings. Another will be used to construct a railroad pedestrian bridge, and the third is for redevelopment of the former Brawner sanitarium on Atlanta Road into a city park and recreation complex.
Other funding provided in the transportation bill for Northside projects includes:
• $6.6 million for reconstruction of the I-75-Windy Hill Road interchange in Cobb County to improve traffic flow onto I-75.
• $5 million to widen Cedarcrest Road in Cobb and Paulding County to the Governor's Towne development near Acworth.
• $3 million for land acquisition in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
• $2.5 million for widening and reconstruction of Queens Road in Cobb County to improve safety and capacity.
• $1 million for construction of HOV lanes on I-575 from the I-75 interchange in Cobb County to Sixes Road in Cherokee County.
• $836,000 for Cobb County to implement Smart Card technology and improve bus facilities.
• $300,000 for design and construction of railroad crossing gates in Acworth.
-- Staff writer Michael Pearson contributed to this article.
BYLINE: RICHARD WHITT
DATE: August 11, 2005
PUBLICATION: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA)
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