The Georgia Department of Transportation is accepting public feedback on a $17 million project to widen a half-mile stretch of Old 41 Highway and shift the roadway outside of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield.
The state plans to convert the highway’s existing intersections at Stilesboro Road and Kennesaw Avenue into single-lane roundabouts. The project will also widen about half a mile of road between the proposed roundabouts from two to four lanes and reposition that segment of the highway so it veers around the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield property. Transportation officials say that will provide a buffer between Old 41 Highway and park users.
The project is expected to be completed in 2025, according to Cobb County transportation officials.
In lieu of an in-person public hearing, GDOT will be hosting a virtual open house beginning Friday. Interested members of the public can review the project plans and submit written comments until Oct. 31.
The information will be available on GDOT’s public outreach page at www.dot.ga.gov/AboutGDOT/PublicOutreach.
GDOT is collaborating with Cobb County for the slate of improvements along the stretch of Old 41 Highway between Stilesboro Road and Kennesaw Avenue. State and county officials say it will alleviate congestion between the two intersections that currently use traffic signals.
The roundabouts will feature a bypass lane for through traffic as well as a right turn lane. Both circular intersections will also have raised medians.
More than 20,000 vehicles pass through the portion of Old 41 Highway each day, according to GDOT. The corridor currently slices through the north end of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, near two parking lots that visitors use to access the national park.
Cyclists and pedestrians who use an overflow parking lot west of Stilesboro Road currently must cross the intersection to get to the park. A new tunnel beneath the highway’s intersection at Stilesboro Road will allow visitors access to the park without crossing Stilesboro Road.
Construction will begin in 2024 and is expected to take 18 months to complete, according to Cobb County transportation officials.
About $5.7 million in state and federal grants have already been secured for right-of-way easements and construction. Cobb County will pour at least $4.3 million Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) dollars into the project. A Cobb spokesperson said the county is also seeking additional state and federal funding.
