Roswell’s Oxbo Road reopened to cheers Friday afternoon.
Mayor Pro Tem Christine Hall cut a ribbon in the middle of the road. Soon after, a small parade of police cars with flashing lights rode through the street to celebrate the opening to traffic on the roadway for the first time in three years.
Oxbo Road is located off Atlanta Street, which is also known as Ga. 9.
The road closed in early 2020 during former Mayor Lori Henry’s administration. Since January 2022, current Mayor Kurt Wilson has worked to complete the realignment of Oxbo and nearby roads.
Costs for the often delayed and overbudget project soared from an original $7 million in 2016 to $18.4 million. The project included an independent investigation in 2021 that concluded there was widespread mismanagement.
Friday, Councilwoman Lee Hills described its ultimate completion as “baptism by fire.”
Mayor Kurt Wilson was unable to attend the ribbon cutting, but said in a statement that the day of reopening Oxbo “has been a long time coming.”
“When I was elected mayor, one of the first things this mayor and council did was to create the Oxbo Action Plan to complete this project,” Wilson said.
The road is completed six months before the December 2023 target date, he added.
Director of Transportation Jeffrey Littlefield said minor work along the road, such as filling in grass and replacing reflectors, will take place in the coming days. That work is already paid for, he said.
The overall project included the realignment of Oxbo Road and Oxbo Drive to eliminate a staggered intersection at Atlanta Street. According to Roswell, traffic studies showed an average of 26 crashes per year at the intersection between 2010 and 2019.
The project included changes at Elm, Pleasant Hill, Maple and Oak streets, as well as adding brick sidewalks and crosswalks.
“The second half of 2021, nothing was happening here,” Councilman Mike Palermo said, reflecting on the history of the project site. “It was just sitting here with no progress. I’m just so appreciative of this mayor and council. This is exciting to finally be done.”
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