Marietta, GA — This week, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) joined the Cumberland Community Improvement District (Cumberland CID), the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT), and state and local leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony of a new access point to the popular Northwest Corridor Express Lanes at Akers Mill Road. McBath helped secure $5 million for the project in 2019.
“When I travel across our community, improving our transportation and infrastructure remains a topic of conversation at every kitchen table. Transportation has long been a central part of what makes this community run. I was proud to help secure $5 million for the Akers Mill Ramp Project and join our partners today at the groundbreaking,” said McBath. “These are investments that make it quicker and safer to get to work and ensure our local businesses have access to the materials and talent they need to grow and thrive. Like any good investment, this bipartisan funding will pay long-term dividends for our communities. With projects like this, we are reinvigorating the infrastructure of America, better connecting our country, and helping our community chart a course toward an effective and efficient future.”
The new access ramp, which will be the newest of 12 access points for the lanes, will serve southbound express lanes users as an exit ramp in the morning and northbound express lanes users as an entrance ramp in the evening. The new access ramp will include gates on both ends to ensure safety for reversible directions of travel. The ramp will be 24-feet wide for the reversible lanes (plus break-down shoulders) and will widen to 50-feet at Akers Mill. It will include a barrier separated entrance to the northbound managed lanes.
Phase I of this project which included widening of the I-285 bridge over I-75 was completed in 2018 and was funded through Georgia DOT’s existing Northwest Corridor construction contract. The second phase of this project, which consists of constructing the ramp, is estimated to cost $18.2 million and is anticipated to be completed in 2023.