Toll lane proposal for I-75, I-575 to get public input

Reversible lane plan envisioned instead of major interstate expansion

Print
E-mail

By Christopher Quinn

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Traffic that clogs I-75 and I-575 from Canton and Kennesaw through Marietta to the rest of metro Atlanta every rush hour isn’t getting the major architectural surgery once envisioned, but plans won’t proceed until the public has a chance to weigh in.

Enlarge photo

Traffic is lined up on I-75 northbound just south of the I-575 intersection on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010. The state Department of Transportation envisions reversible toll lanes for I-75 and I-575 in Cherokee and Cobb counties.

Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Traffic is lined up on I-75 northbound just south of the I-575 intersection on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010. The state Department of Transportation envisions reversible toll lanes for I-75 and I-575 in Cherokee and Cobb counties.

Enlarge photo

Public meetings will be held this month to get citizen input on reversible toll lanes. Above, traffic is shown on I-75 just south of the I-575 intersection.

Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Public meetings will be held this month to get citizen input on reversible toll lanes. Above, traffic is shown on I-75 just south of the I-575 intersection.

More Atlanta area news »

The massive highway expansion discussed in 2007 would have swelled lanes on parts of I-75 to as many as 23, but it has been replaced by a slight widening of traffic arteries under the state Department of Transportation’s newest proposal. The previous plan’s massive cost, the recession and impacts on neighborhoods and the environment sank it.

The DOT will be looking to gather public reaction to the new proposal at open houses later this month.

Traffic that clogs I-75 and I-575 from Canton and Kennesaw through Marietta to the rest of metro Atlanta every rush hour will not get major architectural surgery after all.

The massive highway expansion discussed in 2007 would have swelled lanes on parts of I-75 to as many as 23, but it has been replaced by a slight widening of traffic arteries under the state Department of Transportation's newest proposal. The previous plan's massive cost, the recession and impacts on neighborhoods and the environment sank it.

The DOT will be looking to gather public reaction to the new proposal this month.

The plan is scaled back to two reversible lanes along I-75 from Akers Mill Road in Cobb County north to its intersection with I-575. From the intersection, it drops to a single reversible lane on I-75 to Hickory Grove Road, and another on I-575 to Sixes Road. Traffic would flow south in morning rush hour and north in the afternoon, for drivers willing to pay the price.

The project is proposed as a public-private partnership, with the state and a private company sharing the construction costs. The company will recoup its investment and make profits through tolls that vary according to traffic density and miles traveled. The heavier the traffic in non-tolled lanes, the higher the cost to escape it in the new lanes. No rates have been proposed.

"I am excited to hear they might have an extra lane on 575," said John Van Kints of Canton.

His 20-mile commute to Chastain Road takes 45 minutes on bad days.

"Basically, it is bumper to bumper from 575 to Chastain," he said.

He said it has gotten worse in the year since he moved from Cleveland, especially after school began. He would be willing to pay a toll, but if it costs more than a dollar, he would be less likely to use it, Van Kints said.

Others were not happy about the project. Cliff Oliver of Austell said the state should put money into public transit rather than building lanes that will continue to encourage suburban growth, which creates a never-ending need for yet more expensive highways. He would like to see some current lanes converted to toll lanes.

"People need to experience the true cost of these highways," he said.

DOT estimates show traffic in the corridor continuing to rise. In 2008, 95,310 cars a day used I-575. That is expected to rise 15 percent to 110,000 a day over 25 years. Increases on the part of I-75 that the project would affect will be more significant. The 238,500 cars using it is expected to grow 36 percent to 325,000 a day during the same time.

The DOT will hold two open houses laying out the newest proposal and asking for feedback. The first will be at Woodstock High School's cafeteria, 2010 Towne Lake Hills South Drive, from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 21. The second will be at the Doubletree Hotel ballroom, 2055 S. Park Place in Atlanta, from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 26.

"The reversible lane is a new concept here, so we are going out to inform the public so they are aware of it," said Vicki Gavalas, a spokeswoman for the project.

Not building the lanes is still an option, Gavalas said. Part of the final decision will be based on feedback.

If everything falls into place, the earliest beginning for construction would be 2012 and would take three years and eight months to finish. The estimated cost is $1.37 billion, with the taxpayers on the hook for as much as $350 million of that. The private company that partners with the state would pay the rest.

Read more at www.nwhovbrt.com/index.htm.