TSPLOST Would Fund Windy Hill/U.S. 41 Intersection Improvements
Plans for improvements to one of metro Atlanta's worst intersections were included on Cobb County's local TSPLOST project list. Voters decide whether to approve the list with the July 31 Regional Transportation Referendum.
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The intersection of Windy Hill Road and U.S. 41 is considered one of the worst in metro Atlanta, but Cobb County officials have plans to improve it should the Regional Transportation Referendum pass on July 31.
At a recent District 2 Town Hall Meeting, Dan McDuff, Cobb County Department of Transportation’s deputy director, said that if voters approve the one-cent special-purpose local-option sales tax collected over 10 years, 15 percent of that revenue would fund a list of local projects including a possible interchange at the intersection of Windy Hill Road and U.S. 41.
“The problem is we’ve added all the turns lanes, we’ve added left turn lanes, we’ve done all we can possibly do with that signal to optimize the traffic,” he said. “But in the peak periods we cannot handle the demand. So it’s gridlocked. That’s the last thing we do to that intersection is put an interchange there. Cobb at Windy Hill is certainly one of those projects.”
McDuff said that the Cobb DOT staff has discussed several options for the intersection including constructing a U.S. 41 tunnel beneath Windy Hill Road. Another option is to build a Windy Hill Road overpass above the intersection with on and off-ramps to provide access to U.S. 41. There was one option McDuff said was not on the table.
“No cloverleaf, just because of the businesses in the area, but the interchange could still have an impact on the businesses on the corners,” he said. “But if we move forward we’ll certainly have public meetings out there to show you everything we’re thinking of and get input from the public.”
The fate of these and other transportation improvements depend on the passage of the TSPLOST, said Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee.
“But rest assured, there is no Plan B,” he said. “And sometimes doing nothing is moving backward as the whole world moves forward. But it’s up to you. I’m not going to tell you one way or the other except I’m asking you to get educated on it and make an educated vote. Don’t kneejerk this one. It’s too important, too big and too complex to kneejerk.”
Some voters and elected officials feel that the referendum in its current form is unconstitutional. On July 31, voters in 10 counties will go to the polls. If a majority of the counties vote in favor of the TSPLOST, it will be levied in all 10 counties. There is no way for counties who vote down the measure to opt out.
Susan Wilkinson, Smyrna’s Ward 5 City Council representative, asked if the county was looking into improvements to the Windy Hill Road corridor between South Cobb Drive and Atlanta Road as traffic in that area has increased since the opening of the Windy Mac Connector opened last summer.
“What happens in that area is people everyday get on Windy Hill and are riding through our neighborhoods to get to the other side of South Cobb out to west Cobb,” she said.
Faye Dimassimo, Cobb County Department of Transportation’s director, said her office has been monitoring traffic patterns in the area since before the connector opened.
“The city of Smyrna expressed all along a fear about that connectivity was going to put a lot more traffic into Smyrna,” she said. “We are monitoring that closely with city staff and looking at what kinds of things can be done that will help alleviate that. We’re kind of just trying to monitor too. You know traffic starts off one way and then kind of settles into a pattern of where people are actually traveling. We’re still looking at all that together to make sure we’re coming up with either operational improvements or more major improvements.”
One major improvement that’s already been approved by voters is the Windy Hill Boulevard concept, which was included on the 2011 SPLOST list. McDuff said the county has put $2 million aside for these improvements. The city of Smyrna will oversee its design and implementation.
R. Anderson
12:23 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
This intersection has been a problem for years. In the early 90s they were talking about what to do about the traffic on Windy Hill. I believe it's now being used as the carrot to get people to vote in TSPLOST.
Mike
2:25 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
They had enough money to add cameras which don't help with preventing accidents, only increasing revenue.
Amy
2:50 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
So if we don't pass the TSPLOST, no money will ever ever ever be spent on Windy Hill and Cobb Parkway ever ever EVER again.
Inside-Out
2:58 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Windy Hill road will continue to be a thorn in the side for Smyrna residents. Either Cobb was ignorant in there thinking or they just really don't care. When the Windy-Mac connector was first mentioned, the idea of dumping more traffic into the area had to be thought about. Windy Hill as it stood was already a traffic jam so they added more traffic onto it for the residents of West Cobb benefit. Not one thing was done in Smyrna to improve traffic. Adding two more cars to Windy Hill was a bad idea at its concept. Now we are looking to improve the intersection at Cobb Parkway. Again this will not help Windy Hill road on either side of the intersection, as traffic will continue to jam up. Cobb is trying to piece mill a solution to this problem they created. Next they will need money to improve the entrances to I-75 then they will be back wanting millions more to improve the flow thru Smyrna. Fixing this road one piece at a time is of absolutely no help. Cobb County brought in the new traffic to Smyrna from West Cobb knowing good and well that millions more were needed to complete the Windy Hill project. Spend millions of dollars on both ends of Windy Hill and not spend one dime on the section thru Smyrna dooms the residents of Smyrna. We are definitely not going anywhere fast. Cobb county will keep coming back for money for years and years to fix their mistake and I don't think they care about Smyrna residents one bit.
R. Anderson
5:22 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
There's even more bad history with that intersection. Windy Hill stopped at Atlanta Rd. On one side of S, Cobb it was Jones Shaw and on the other side it was Cherokee. They widened Cherokee, dug out under the RR, and extended the road all the way to 41. Renamed the roads from Austell to 41 Windy Hill. Then they built Windy Mac. Through all of that and all those years with all that traffic they're just now wanting to deal with the problem. They've dealt with it bass acwards.
"The fate of these and other transportation improvements depend on the passage of the TSPLOST, said Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee." And he goes on to say the problem will be the voters fault it they don't vote for TSPLOST. He thinks the voters are stupid. There's a lot of us who have been here a long time and seen a lot. Cobb Co. didn't always have TSPLOST and transportation problems were dealt with.
Brian
1:40 am on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
I'm not for an interchange making the area at that intersection look like a ghost town. We shouldn't wreck the area for people commuting to/from North Cobb.
This is CUMBERLAND. Not some suburb. Don't wreck the place with more suburban style development.
I do not agree with the statement that they have done everything they could. For instance, have they tried doing a divergent diamond intersection WITHOUT an overpass? Have they tried implementing "Michigan lefts" there?
They can knock out the strip club and implement a U-turn area WITHOUT an overpass, thus moving some turning vehicles away from the main intersection.
Sorry, "We've done everything we could" is NOT the answer. Stop destroying areas with highway overpasses. It's unnecessary.
Regarding extra traffic in Smyrna from Windy Hill: As a Smyrna resident, I'm actually happy that there's extra traffic coming to an area with a lot of failed business. Hopefully it encourages redevelopment. The longer West Cobb people are stuck in traffic there, the more likely they are to stop and grab a bite to eat.
Brian
1:45 am on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Quote: "McDuff said that the Cobb DOT staff has discussed several options for the intersection including constructing a U.S. 41 tunnel beneath Windy Hill Road. "
That would be the only option I consider acceptable involving separated grade. An overpass wouldn't be. However, a "Michigan left" intersection would probably solve the issue as well, and for a lot less money.
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/hamilton_county/michigan-left-will-change-fishers-traffic
Brian
12:22 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I talked with Mr McDuff and they said they are weighing concerns about impact/aesthetics and I found out that the tunnel option is Bob Ott's favorite option. I think the tunnel could work IF the on/off-ramps were brought inward to form the equivalent of an intersection above the tunnel. If it's a standard on/off-ramp then it will cut far into private land. By just having the incline be on the side of the road, it has less impact on private land. Additionally, businesses can be accessed from these ramps. They are generally only one-way turns into and out of the businesses anyway.
One thing I realized is that the on/off ramps from the tunnels will need to be more than one lane to handle turning traffic volume / isolate accidents, etc.
Someone I knew brought up a good point about Michigan lefts - the U-turn would have to be way down the road due to all the business entrances right near the intersection.