Q&A on the News
Q: I recently saw a notice in the paper talking about a meeting for an improvement project for Wade Green Road. I hadn’t heard anything about that. Can you provide details about the project and the meeting?
— Toni Wickham, Acworth
A: Cobb County and the Georgia Department of Transportation have plans to construct a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) on Wade Green Road at Interstate 75. It's projected to cost $2.6 million and construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2014. A DDI is designed to increase capacity, decrease congestion and minimize cost, according to the DOT. It eases the flow of heavy traffic by eliminating a left turn signal and "allowing two directions of traffic to cross the opposite side of the side or cross street at or near the bridge point over the freeway." The DOT projects there will be a 60 percent reduction in the time drivers sit at traffic lights with the DDI. Morning commuters could see a 21 percent reduction in travel time and afternoon commutes could shorten by 13 percent. DDIs have been completed on Ashford-Dunwoody Road at I-285 in DeKalb County and on Pleasant Hill Road and I-85 in Gwinnett County. GDOT is paying up to $1 million of the cost, with the rest of the $1.6 million coming from Cobb County SPLOST funds. A public meeting to discuss the project has been scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday at Kennesaw City Hall.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
