Marietta and Cobb County Route Adjustments (S.R. 5 and U.S. 78/278)

What took place in South Fulton with S.R. 154 is pretty comparable to the situation in Marietta. Clearly, S.R. 5 has lost significance through Marietta as other roads have taken greater importance and the route continues to be fractured and relocated to the point that it no longer forms a useful or logical route. S.R. 5 is now of no use as a highway at this point in the city, because no truck would follow the abnormally long new route and through traffic used to taking Church Street will not adjust their patterns whatsoever. In fact, S.R. 5 is of no use at all on its current route between Douglasville and Blue Ridge with exception to three sections, because it has all been superceded by other routes including I-575, S.R. 515, U.S. 41, S.R. 120 Alt, S.R. 120, S.R. 280 and U.S. 78.

S.R. 5 was relocated , of course, to try to get state routes of the city as a means of discouraging through traffic and truck traffic from using those roads. The problem is, the suggested route effectively creates a lengthy gap in S.R. 5. It is already overlapped completely north of Austell Road in Cobb County except for a very small section between I-75 and U.S. 41 and another slightly longer section on Atlanta Street already slated for eventual decommissioning. It should be noted that the original intent of S.R. 5 in Marietta was to follow Canton Road, Cherokee Street and Powder Springs Road: all three major routes at the time.

U.S. 78/278 is a slightly different situation. While its current route along the former Bankhead Highway is a well-established U.S. route, the fact is that it has been rendered useless as a commuter route in part due to its proximity with I-20 and also due to its reputation as a ghetto neighborhood that is dangerous to drive through. It is also entirely a surface street with little modernization inside I-285. Because of this, commuters choose instead to take the northern route along East-West Connector into Paulding County and beyond as an alternative to I-20. This is a very major route now that work is completed, and though county-built, it is plausable to include part of Marietta Street, all of Marietta Blvd, part of Atlanta Road and Austell Road (already S.R. 5) into this road. The routes line up well and traffic volumes justify the shift northward as the map shows.

RELOCATING S.R. 5 TO BARRETT PARKWAY AND EAST-WEST CONNECTOR

Now that S.R. 5 has pretty much been relegated to a minor status among other more important routes, it is worthwhile to consider just removing it completely from Marietta and moving the entire designation onto Barrett Parkway and East-West Connector. Part of Barrett Parkway already is S.R. 5 Connector, and what is not is a completed four-lane major arterial that rejoins S.R. 5 at Austell Road. In terms of a mileage swap, most of this mileage would be obtained from the already decommissioned, Church, Cherokee and Roswell Streets as well as decommissioning part of Austell Road north of East-West Connector. This would create a legitimate major route for S.R. 5 between Marietta and Austell. If Austell Road is retained north of the route as a state highway, then the S.R. 340 designation should be restored to the highway.

Click on the image for larger image or here for full-sized image.

This image shows S.R. 5 relocated to Barrett Parkway and part of the East-West Connector between I-575 and Austell Road, both existing routes of S.R. 5. Also note the new location for U.S. 78 and 278 along the East-West Connector, the extension of S.R. 139 along current U.S. 278 and renumbering of orphaned S.R. 5 Spur as S.R. 401 Spur. S.R. 5 is shown completely removed on all existing routes between Barrett Parkway and East-West Connector as well as U.S. 78/278 along Bankhead Street and Bankhead Highway (Hollowell/Veterans Memorial).

THE S.R. 5 SPUR PROBLEM

S.R. 5 Spur extends from the S.R. 5 expressway in Marietta into Old S.R. 5. This designation helps to keep a semblance of state control on the former S.R. 5, relieves the City of Marietta of maintenance on a short freeway segment and any other number would create much confusion. Decommissioning is also not an option since the road was recommissioned in 1987. Also, if any initiative ever restored Old S.R. 5 between Marietta and Woodstock, a relocated S.R. 5 would require that part if Piedmont Road become mainline S.R. 5 with S.R. 5 Spur extended (recommissioned) to Piedmont Road: why an otherwise typical designation of S.R. 3 Spur is not desired.

Nevertheless, this complicated little spur is not a reason not to move S.R. 5 to a better route. The best option is to reassign S.R. 5 Spur to a more internal designation such as S.R. 401 Spur. S.R. 401 Spur would assist the City of Marietta by restoring state maintenance to the freeway stub ending into Church Street extension that was formerly S.R. 5, retain a state designation along S.R. south of I-75 and create a less confusing route number to take the place of S.R. 5 Spur north of I-75. The route could also be fully signed, partially signed or not signed at all similar to S.R. 5 Connector on Barrett Parkway. While S.R. 3 Spur sounds more practical, the fact is that Old S.R. 5 should ideally not be connected with a route numbered "3", and it would also not allow for the entire S.R. 5 freeway portion to receive full state control. A third option to consider would be to number the entire S.R. 5 freeway as S.R. 754, the designation placed on Old S.R. 5 for years that, although temporary, appeared on maps as a highway for years along the same route.

ALTERNATIVES FOR S.R. 5 IN MARIETTA

Click on the image for larger image or here for full-sized image. This map shows S.R. 5 remaining in Marietta with a relocation of the middle portion of the route onto Fairground Street. Note that Spur 5 is left untouched and Barrett Parkway merely serves as a by-pass route instead of mainline S.R. 5. However, a banner designation for S.R. 5 on Barrett Parkway is discouraged due to the high amount of such in the area. Also note that S.R. 5 Spur is preserved.

While S.R. 5 being moved to Barrett Parkway is touted here as an ideal solution, another plan would keep S.R. 5 in Marietta by moving S.R. 5 one street east of its original route through the city. The new route would take S.R. 5 down Fairground Street once improvements were completed on the intersection improvement at Chicopee, creating the most direct route between its new location on U.S. 41 and S.R. 280 versus the current and planned elongated route.

Barrett Parkway would still become a state route, but instead as a reassignment of long decommissioned S.R. 340. The trade-off would be that all of S.R. 360 along Macland Road and Powder Springs Road east of Barrett Parkway into the city would go back to the city and county. While S.R. 176 is also a good consideration for turnback, this is a readily apparent option that also satisfies Marietta's interest in removing most state highways from the downtown area.

Click on the image for larger image or here for full-sized image. This map shows the total elimination of S.R. 5 and how it would function in the area.

The third and final option is simply to eliminate S.R. 5 completely from Cobb County. S.R. 340 would be assigned to Barrett Parkway, U.S. 78/278 would take over part of Austell Road with the rest going back to Cobb County. Powder Springs Road would remain S.R. 360 and S.R. 5 Spur would change to the previously mentioned route. This wholesale removal of the highway would coincide with a massive renumbering and removal of all segments of S.R. 5 between Blue Ridge and Douglasville with one of the two orphaned segments receiving a new route designation. While this is the least likely option, it is worth considering and the S.R. 5 removal plan will be mentioned later in a different proposal.

EAST-WEST CONNECTOR STATE TAKEOVER

East-West Connector east of Austell Road to Atlanta Road is part of the perimeter route of Cobb County, but it is also a major commuter route from Atlanta into Paulding County. Very few adequate arterial routes connect Paulding to Atlanta, and this is one of the most heavily traveled for that purpose. For that reason, it should be considered that part of Atlanta Road (Old S.R. 3) and East-West Connector up to Austell Road that is not part of the previously mentioned S.R. 5 plan become a new state highway.

Two options for this route include simply assigning it a new state route number or relocating U.S. 78, 278 and S.R. 8 to this route in conjunction with Atlanta Road/Marietta Boulevard. The former would simply be the creation of a new state designation on an existing road like S.R. 390. The second would be the removal of U.S. 78/278 from the long-established Bankhead Highway route with U.S. 78 and 278 along part of Austell Road (S.R. 5) and East-West Connector (becomes Cumberland Boulevard) to Atlanta Road. It would then follow Atlanta Road back into Atlanta along the former route of S.R. 3 rejoining existing U.S. 78/278 (North Avenue) via Northside Drive (U.S. 41). To retain connectivity, S.R. 139 would then be extended west along part of existing U.S. 78 between Austell Road where it currently turns southeast off of U.S. 78.

The relocation of U.S. 78 to Atlanta Road and East-West Connector would create a better constructed, safer and faster route than the current route. When the bridge over the Chattahoochee River is fully widened and the intersection upgrade is completed where Atlanta Road and Cumberland Blvd come together, the route will be in perfect condition for this purpose as well.