SPLOST Progress Project Update
Cobb voters approved the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to fund important transportation and public safety projects in 2005. Since then, significant progress has been made in many areas, including the jail expansion, public safety radio system upgrade and new courthouse project.
This summer Cobb County was bustling with construction activity in almost every corner of the county. Schools and bridges were the main focus of upgrades and will continue to receive attention throughout the 2005 SPLOST program. As of August, 227 transportation projects in the program are underway or completed. Of these projects, 123 are in the right-of-way acquisition phase, 61 projects are completed and 109 projects have begun construction - including the following:
School Safety
With summer almost over and local children getting ready to start the new school year, summer projects focused on school safety are
nearing completion. The majority of these summer school projects will be completed when school begins on Aug. 10. Parents dropping off
their kids as well as teachers and bus drivers alike will no doubt notice improvements such as road widening, the addition of sidewalks,
traffic signals and turn lanes at school entrances. For a list of schools and more school improvement project details, visit our Web site at www.cobbcip.org/progress-report.htm and click on SPLOST School Projects.
Windy Hill Road / Macland Road Connector
The Windy Hill Road-Macland Road Connector is a project that has been discussed for many years and is now only a couple of months from breaking ground. This project will provide a new four-lane divided connector road between the intersections of Powder Springs at Macland Road and Austell Road at Windy Hill Road. Not only will West Cobb traffic move efficiently through to Windy Hill, there will be substantially reduced congestion along Powder Springs, Callaway and Austell Roads. The main feature of the project is a tunnel underneath Callaway Road near the fairgrounds which will efficiently move traffic to Windy Hill Road near the current entrance of Milford Elementary School. This project is scheduled to bid for construction in September with a projected start date in October.
Cobb County’s First Roundabout
The intersection of West Sandtown Road at Villa Rica is currently a fou-way stop; however, at the end of this year it will emerge as the first roundabout in Cobb County. A roundabout, a more modern version of the traffic circle, allows for the efficient flow of vehicles into and out of an intersection.
Construction for this project began in July at the Irwin and Villa Rica intersection where the road was closed to reduce an existing hill and improve necessary sight distance. This roadway will reopen in time for school to begin in early August where construction will then shift to the Villa Rica Road / West Sandtown Road intersection. Unlike the construction at Irwin Road, there will be no need for the road to be closed while the roundabout is being constructed. Check out the two-minute instructional video to learn more about roundabouts and how to drive through one: www.iihs.org/video.aspx?f=info/roundabout
.
Bridge Reconstruction Continues
This was a busy summer for bridge and drainage culvert replacements in Cobb County. As identified in the 2005 SPLOST Program, these replacements and repairs were necessary to maintain the safety of the county roadway network and to improve the infrastructure within the county. Detailed bridge closure information and detour maps can be viewed at www.cobbcip.org/progress-report.htm#bridge or at the Road Closure listings posted on DOT’s Web site at dot.cobbcountyga.gov/road_rept.htm.
Before the end of the year, several more projects will be added to Cobb County’s bridge reconstruction list. Road closures will be necessary with the exception of Canton Road over Noonday Creek widening. Bridge projects slated for later this year are Concord Road over the Silver Comet Trail, Hermi’s Bridge (the existing pedestrian bridge will remain closed), Holly Springs Road over Sewell Creek Tributary, Mount Calvary Road over Noses Creek, North Church Lane over CSX Railroad and Rock Bridge Road over Noonday Creek Tributary. Detailed road closure information can be found on DOT’s Web site once construction begins at dot.cobbcountyga.gov/road_rept.htm.
Construction Contracts Awarded
The Cobb County Board of Commissioners recently awarded several significant construction contracts:
Construction Progress Continues
Some major SPLOST Projects continuing under construction include:
Projects on the Horizon:
Jiles Road – Phase I (Project D4130)
The first of two phases, this project focuses on widening and intersection improvements from Baker Road to Cherokee Street/Wade Green Road. It will be bid for construction in October 2008 with expected completion Spring 2010.
Due West Family of Intersections: Burnt Hickory / Due West Intersection (D3090), Due West Road @ Old Hamilton Road (D3170), Kennesaw Due West Road @ Acworth Due West Road (D3230) and Due West Road Bicycle Improvements (Project D10B0)
Because of their close proximity, these four projects have been combined into one and will provide significant improvements to this segment of roadway. Burnt Hickory Road will be relocated to line-up with Old Hamilton Road at a new intersection on Due West Road. Due West Road will be widened from Old Hamilton Road to Burnt Hickory Road. This project will also use a portion of the Bicycle Improvements money to provide a connection between the east sections of Burnt Hickory Road to the west leg of Burnt Hickory on Due West Road. This project is anticipated to begin construction in August 2008 with expected completion Winter 2010.
Dallas Hwy/120 @Poplar Springs/Holland Rd (D3160) and Old Dallas Road @ Holland Road (Project D3320)
This project will provide intersection improvements and the addition of a signal at Poplar Springs Road/Holland Road at Dallas Highway. The Old Dallas Road intersection with Holland Road will also see intersection improvements. These projects are expected to bid for construction in October 2008 with and anticipated completion in fall 2009.
North Church Lane over CSX Railroad (Project D1260)
This project consists of replacing the bridge over the CSX Rail as well as widening the Atlanta Road intersection with turn lanes and sidewalks on North Church Lane. This project is anticipated to bid for construction in October 2008 with expected completion winter 2010.
Information relating to SPLOST transportation projects is updated regularly and can be viewed at www.cobbcip.org. If you have any questions or comments regarding Cobb SPLOST transportation projects, please email Cobb DOT at cobbdot@cobbcounty.org or contact the Cobb DOT Engineering Division at 770-528-1621. The next SPLOST transportation e-newsletter in November will focus on the end of the year SPLOST projects.
Jail Expansion
County officials broke ground a little more than a year ago on the $110 million expansion of the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on County Services Parkway. The project is well underway, within budget and should be completed on the scheduled timeline. The parking area is complete and all sub-contract packages have been awarded. All earthwork, underground utilities and foundations for the new housing tower, administration, visitor’s center and central plant/maintenance buildings have been completed. Steel panels that will comprise the actual cells have been manufactured off-site and are being stored in a bonded warehouse.
The first building to be completed will be a new visitor center, which will have video visitation. The building is about 55 percent complete now and will be done the first part of next year. The kitchen expansion and administration building should be complete by March and the new inmate housing tower will open late next year. Other major include kitchen, laundry and medical area expansions. When completed, the project will add more than 320,000 square feet and 1,152 beds to the facility, bringing its capacity to 3,077 prisoners.
800 MHz Radio System
$27 million in SPLOST funds was allocated to help pay for an upgraded public safety radio system for the county and the cities it supports, providing modern mobile data services and enhancing communication with surrounding agencies. The project is near completion with the 800 MHz radio system infrastructure installed and all radios either installed or ordered.
New Courthouse
SPLOST funds of $55 million will enable the building of a new courthouse that will combine all of the county’s court services on one campus. The new building will also provide a larger jury assembly room to house jurors and upgraded security measures.
Construction bids are due Sept. 11 and the bid opening will be at 2 p.m. The selection review will take place Sept. 16 and interviews will be held Sept. 23, both at Cobb County’s property management department. The Cobb Board of Commissioners will vote on approval of the bid at its October meeting.
Cobb voters approved the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to fund important transportation and public safety projects in 2005. Since then, significant progress has been made in many areas, including the jail expansion, public safety radio system upgrade and new courthouse project.
This summer Cobb County was bustling with construction activity in almost every corner of the county. Schools and bridges were the main focus of upgrades and will continue to receive attention throughout the 2005 SPLOST program. As of August, 227 transportation projects in the program are underway or completed. Of these projects, 123 are in the right-of-way acquisition phase, 61 projects are completed and 109 projects have begun construction - including the following:
- 19 school zone improvement projects valued at $7.7 million
- 20 bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects valued at $3.0 million
- 18 intersection safety and operational improvements valued at $11.9 million
- 18 thoroughfare and roadway safety Improvement projects valued at $34.8 million
- 210 miles of road resurfacing valued at $27 million
School Safety
With summer almost over and local children getting ready to start the new school year, summer projects focused on school safety are
nearing completion. The majority of these summer school projects will be completed when school begins on Aug. 10. Parents dropping off
their kids as well as teachers and bus drivers alike will no doubt notice improvements such as road widening, the addition of sidewalks,
traffic signals and turn lanes at school entrances. For a list of schools and more school improvement project details, visit our Web site at www.cobbcip.org/progress-report.htm and click on SPLOST School Projects.
Windy Hill Road / Macland Road Connector
The Windy Hill Road-Macland Road Connector is a project that has been discussed for many years and is now only a couple of months from breaking ground. This project will provide a new four-lane divided connector road between the intersections of Powder Springs at Macland Road and Austell Road at Windy Hill Road. Not only will West Cobb traffic move efficiently through to Windy Hill, there will be substantially reduced congestion along Powder Springs, Callaway and Austell Roads. The main feature of the project is a tunnel underneath Callaway Road near the fairgrounds which will efficiently move traffic to Windy Hill Road near the current entrance of Milford Elementary School. This project is scheduled to bid for construction in September with a projected start date in October.
Cobb County’s First Roundabout
The intersection of West Sandtown Road at Villa Rica is currently a fou-way stop; however, at the end of this year it will emerge as the first roundabout in Cobb County. A roundabout, a more modern version of the traffic circle, allows for the efficient flow of vehicles into and out of an intersection.
Construction for this project began in July at the Irwin and Villa Rica intersection where the road was closed to reduce an existing hill and improve necessary sight distance. This roadway will reopen in time for school to begin in early August where construction will then shift to the Villa Rica Road / West Sandtown Road intersection. Unlike the construction at Irwin Road, there will be no need for the road to be closed while the roundabout is being constructed. Check out the two-minute instructional video to learn more about roundabouts and how to drive through one: www.iihs.org/video.aspx?f=info/roundabout
.
Bridge Reconstruction Continues
This was a busy summer for bridge and drainage culvert replacements in Cobb County. As identified in the 2005 SPLOST Program, these replacements and repairs were necessary to maintain the safety of the county roadway network and to improve the infrastructure within the county. Detailed bridge closure information and detour maps can be viewed at www.cobbcip.org/progress-report.htm#bridge or at the Road Closure listings posted on DOT’s Web site at dot.cobbcountyga.gov/road_rept.htm.
Before the end of the year, several more projects will be added to Cobb County’s bridge reconstruction list. Road closures will be necessary with the exception of Canton Road over Noonday Creek widening. Bridge projects slated for later this year are Concord Road over the Silver Comet Trail, Hermi’s Bridge (the existing pedestrian bridge will remain closed), Holly Springs Road over Sewell Creek Tributary, Mount Calvary Road over Noses Creek, North Church Lane over CSX Railroad and Rock Bridge Road over Noonday Creek Tributary. Detailed road closure information can be found on DOT’s Web site once construction begins at dot.cobbcountyga.gov/road_rept.htm.
Construction Contracts Awarded
The Cobb County Board of Commissioners recently awarded several significant construction contracts:
- Butch Thompson Enterprises, Inc. for intersection improvements on Perkerson Mill Road at Flint Hill Road. At a cost of $685,500,
intersection improvements will include adding turn lanes, significantly raising the road (by seven feet) and constructing a culvert.
Click Here for Map
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- American Contractors, Inc. for intersection improvements on Austell Powder Springs Road at Threadmill Complex. The project, which
costs approximately $262,000, consists of intersection improvements to Austell Powder Springs Road at Threadmill Complex including road
widening and the addition of a left-turn lane. Click Here for Map
- Butch Thompson Enterprises, Inc. for intersection improvements on West Sandtown Road at Villa Rica Road. At a cost of approximately
$820,000, this project consists of constructing a roundabout at the intersection of West Sandtown Road and Villa Rica Road as well as
intersection improvements at Irwin Road and Villa Rica Road, which include reducing a hill and adding a turn lane.
Click Here for Map
Construction Progress Continues
Some major SPLOST Projects continuing under construction include:
- Atlanta Road at Paces Ferry Road; this project, which consists of adding turn lanes, will be completed by September.
- Widening of Maxham Road will continue until next fall. This project also includes the bridge widening over Buttermilk Creek and the addition of sidewalks.
- Stilesboro Road is more than half completed with January as the anticipated completion date.
Projects on the Horizon:
Jiles Road – Phase I (Project D4130)
The first of two phases, this project focuses on widening and intersection improvements from Baker Road to Cherokee Street/Wade Green Road. It will be bid for construction in October 2008 with expected completion Spring 2010.
Due West Family of Intersections: Burnt Hickory / Due West Intersection (D3090), Due West Road @ Old Hamilton Road (D3170), Kennesaw Due West Road @ Acworth Due West Road (D3230) and Due West Road Bicycle Improvements (Project D10B0)
Because of their close proximity, these four projects have been combined into one and will provide significant improvements to this segment of roadway. Burnt Hickory Road will be relocated to line-up with Old Hamilton Road at a new intersection on Due West Road. Due West Road will be widened from Old Hamilton Road to Burnt Hickory Road. This project will also use a portion of the Bicycle Improvements money to provide a connection between the east sections of Burnt Hickory Road to the west leg of Burnt Hickory on Due West Road. This project is anticipated to begin construction in August 2008 with expected completion Winter 2010.
Dallas Hwy/120 @Poplar Springs/Holland Rd (D3160) and Old Dallas Road @ Holland Road (Project D3320)
This project will provide intersection improvements and the addition of a signal at Poplar Springs Road/Holland Road at Dallas Highway. The Old Dallas Road intersection with Holland Road will also see intersection improvements. These projects are expected to bid for construction in October 2008 with and anticipated completion in fall 2009.
North Church Lane over CSX Railroad (Project D1260)
This project consists of replacing the bridge over the CSX Rail as well as widening the Atlanta Road intersection with turn lanes and sidewalks on North Church Lane. This project is anticipated to bid for construction in October 2008 with expected completion winter 2010.
Information relating to SPLOST transportation projects is updated regularly and can be viewed at www.cobbcip.org. If you have any questions or comments regarding Cobb SPLOST transportation projects, please email Cobb DOT at cobbdot@cobbcounty.org or contact the Cobb DOT Engineering Division at 770-528-1621. The next SPLOST transportation e-newsletter in November will focus on the end of the year SPLOST projects.
Jail Expansion
County officials broke ground a little more than a year ago on the $110 million expansion of the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on County Services Parkway. The project is well underway, within budget and should be completed on the scheduled timeline. The parking area is complete and all sub-contract packages have been awarded. All earthwork, underground utilities and foundations for the new housing tower, administration, visitor’s center and central plant/maintenance buildings have been completed. Steel panels that will comprise the actual cells have been manufactured off-site and are being stored in a bonded warehouse.
The first building to be completed will be a new visitor center, which will have video visitation. The building is about 55 percent complete now and will be done the first part of next year. The kitchen expansion and administration building should be complete by March and the new inmate housing tower will open late next year. Other major include kitchen, laundry and medical area expansions. When completed, the project will add more than 320,000 square feet and 1,152 beds to the facility, bringing its capacity to 3,077 prisoners.
800 MHz Radio System
$27 million in SPLOST funds was allocated to help pay for an upgraded public safety radio system for the county and the cities it supports, providing modern mobile data services and enhancing communication with surrounding agencies. The project is near completion with the 800 MHz radio system infrastructure installed and all radios either installed or ordered.
New Courthouse
SPLOST funds of $55 million will enable the building of a new courthouse that will combine all of the county’s court services on one campus. The new building will also provide a larger jury assembly room to house jurors and upgraded security measures.
Construction bids are due Sept. 11 and the bid opening will be at 2 p.m. The selection review will take place Sept. 16 and interviews will be held Sept. 23, both at Cobb County’s property management department. The Cobb Board of Commissioners will vote on approval of the bid at its October meeting.