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South Cobb Drive closure: Portion to be closed for 2 months near Dobbins Base

By and FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  March 19, 2024 6:26pm EDT
Cobb County
FOX 5 Atlanta

South Cobb Drive to close for major repairs

A busy section of South Cobb Drive will close for major repairs for several weeks.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Beginning at 10 a.m. on March 19, State Route (SR) 280/South Cobb Drive will undergo a full road closure from Fairground Street SE to US 41/SR 3/Cobb Parkway. This closure, following morning rush hour, aims to facilitate the emergency replacement of a culvert at the location.

Motorists are advised to adhere to posted detour route signage to bypass SR 280/South Cobb Drive. The primary detour route suggests utilizing US 41/SR 3/Cobb Parkway SE, SR 120/South Marietta PKWY SE, and Fairground Street SE. Additionally, a secondary route has been identified: motorists can opt for US 41/SR 3/Cobb Parkway SE, SR 120/South Marietta PKWY SE, and Atlanta Street SE.

To manage traffic flow effectively, Georgia DOT will collaborate with city and county traffic operations teams. Signal timing adjustments will be made to alleviate congestion during peak travel periods.

The closure is anticipated to last around eight weeks, contingent upon weather conditions, with an estimated completion date in mid-May 2024. Real-time travel updates can be accessed via preferred wayfinding apps or by dialing 511GA.

Major Cobb County road shutting down

South Cobb Drive will shut down after Tuesday's morning rush hour and be closed for weeks for road repairs.

The need for the emergency culvert replacement arose on March 9, following a washout triggered by heavy rainfall. The culvert slated for replacement has surpassed its life expectancy.

"This project is sort of an emergency project that's being done to replace an old culvert that was built in the 1940s," GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale explained. "Given the age of this culvert, and the conditions that we've seen lately we, upon inspection of this culvert, noticed that it is just compromised."

Georgia DOT urges motorists to expect delays and assures proactive coordination with city and county officials, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, and Lockheed Martin to minimize travel disruptions.

Every effort has been made to prepare employees ahead of the road closures.

"They told us about it and be prepared. Leave home a little earlier, 15-20 minutes earlier you know, for the traffic, because there are going to be a lot of cars out in the morning," said Tim Davis, who works at Lockheed-Martin.

"We are working directly with those who work at those facilities as well as Cobb Department of Education for their bus traffic. To make sure that those people are getting to where they need to get within this closure," said Dale.

All other motorists will be diverted around the road closures for the next 8 weeks. General motorists should use the detour route, "which is going to be Cobb Parkway, Marietta Parkway and Atlanta Road to get either up and around or over this closure for the time being," Dale explained.

For up-to-date traffic information, utilize 511GA services via phone, website (511ga.org), or the 511 Georgia mobile app before embarking on your journey.