COBB COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Voters will cast their ballot on the transportation tax July 31. If passed, people will pay an extra penny on the dollar to improve traffic in metro Atlanta.
Several projects are earmarked in Cobb County.
According to the T-SPLOST report, the intersection of Windy Hill Road and Cobb Parkway is one of the most congested in the county and one of the highest crash sites in the metro area.
There are a few projects that flow into one another. They are all designed to reduce traffic and make areas safer.
"Things are becoming congested, so the infrastructure needs to catch up to the population," said one driver.
If people vote yes to pay an extra 1 percent in sales tax, $77 million will go to improve the infrastructure at I-75 and Windy Hill Road. Entrance and exit ramps would be reconstructed to allow for more cars.
"It's a good opportunity, and the main thing I encourage people to get informed on the issue," said Kennesaw Mayor Mark Matthews.
Matthews helped pick the projects in Cobb County. He said 99 percent of Cobb County residents live within three miles of a proposed project.
"It's a massive undertaking," said Matthews.
A flyover bridge or some kind of an alternative is proposed at the intersection of Windy Hill Road and Cobb Parkway. It would lead cars on Windy Hill Road over and above those on Cobb Parkway.
"We do have congested conditions there and because it is such a heavily traveled corridor, anything we can do to help traffic in that area helps not only our commuters but helps our businesses," said Cobb DOT director Faye DiMassimo.
That will help the rest of Cobb Parkway.
"If I-75 is backed up, I get the bulk of it because everyone jumps on Cobb Parkway," said resident Sandra Wagner.
That's why $9.8 million will go to improve nine intersections on Cobb Parkway, from Barrett Parkway to Bartow County, to cut down on delays. If passed, signals will be timed to keep traffic moving and turn lanes will be lengthened. People have different opinions on if the improvements are needed.
"I think it will pass. I can see the benefits more than the drawbacks," said Wagner.
District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott urges people to vote no July 31.
"I'm not in favor of the list the way it is, and I think it's the wrong thing at the wrong time," said Ott.
The three projects total $180 million out of the roughly $1 billion proposed for the county.
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