The center turn lane on Windy Hill Road between Cobb Parkway and the Circle 75 Parkway, where all the construction is going on for the new stadium, has been called a ‘suicide lane’ because of the excessive car accidents which happen there. And so, the lane will be closed and will be turned into a raised median. The stretch that is affected is just west of I-75. And although the lane will be closed immediately, the construction of the median will take up to nine months, according to the county. The change will mean drivers won’t be able to make left turns from that part of Windy Hill except at the intersections with traffic lights.
“The center lane in that particular section of Windy Hill Road has been dangerous for years,” said the Cobb County Transportation Director, Jim Wilgus. “It has been called the ‘suicide lane’ because drivers can enter the center lane from either direction, causing an accident. The raised medians eliminate the suicide lane and will create a safer environment for motorists.”
A new release from the county said crash rates at the ‘suicide lane’ have been three times the state average and injury rates are twice the state average. “Traffic in the high-density office, residential and commercial development area has increased steadily since the 1980s population boom, resulting in heavy congestion and a high volume of crashes caused by motorists attempting to cut across middle lanes to reach the I-75 on-ramp or to make left- hand turns into businesses,” the release said.
Construction crews will be working close to traffic, and Wilgus asked for patience from drivers. “Please drive safely and pay attention in heavy construction zones,” he said. “Taking two or three more minutes of your time to go to the (traffic) light goes a long way in making sure all our crews and other motorists go home to their families at night. It’s dangerous out there, but this project will make the corridor much safer.”