Plan to avoid Wade Green Road at I-75 starting in late September as crews create a new traffic flow through the entire area.
That section of the West Cobb artery will be transformed into a diverging diamond interchange — DDI — over I-75 starting later this month, the Cobb County Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.
The estimated cost is $5,046,495.07 with $2.07 million coming from federal funds, according to the transportation agency.
After Wade Green intersects with I-75, it turns into Cherokee Street on the southern side and leads right into downtown Kennesaw.
“Converting the Wade Green Road interchange to a DDI is vital to the traffic flow in the Kennesaw area, particularly in the morning and afternoon peak times,” said Jim Wilgus, head of Cobb DOT.
These types of traffic patterns shift traffic to the opposite side, making it easier to turn left onto an interstate.
The intent is to get rid of crossing conflicts at ramp intersections and increase capacity without adding lanes, the agency said.
A portion of Windy Hill Road became a DDI earlier this year. The county posted a simulation online of how that traffic flow now works.
The whole Wade Green bridge at I-75 will be shut down Sept. 23 to 24 and Sept. 30 to Oct. 1. Single-lane closures are predicted for between Sept. 25 and 29.
In addition to the work on the bridge, crews will also:
- Widen the southbound ramp onto I-75
- Reconstruct the westbound lane of Wade Green starting just east of where it meets the I-75 northbound ramp
- Add a right turn lane from the BP gas station for use by northbound I-75 traffic
- Add a left turn lane to the two westbound Wade Green lanes as they approach the I-75 northbound ramps
- Configure three West Green westbound lanes to cross the southern side of the existing bridge
- Add new sidewalks on both sides of Wade Green
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