Barrett Parkway
Encyclopedia
Ernest W. Barrett Parkway (more commonly Barrett Parkway) is a major thoroughfare
in northwest metro Atlanta
between western and northern Cobb County, Georgia
. It runs from southwest of Marietta
, to the north and then northeast near Kennesaw
, and continues on in both directions under other names. The portion of Barrett Parkway between I-575
and U.S. 41 is designated Georgia State Route 5 Connector. The road is named after Ernest W. Barrett
, the first chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners in the 1960s.
Much of the original Barrett Parkway was taken from the two-lane
Roberts Road, which generally went from U.S. 41 to Interstate 75 and served an area that was rural
in nature. During the 1980s, dramatically-increased land development
, most notably the extension of I-75 in 1977 (which cut Roberts Road in half south of Barrett Parkway), the construction of I-575 in 1980, and the completion of the major regional Town Center at Cobb shopping mall
in 1986, strained the road to capacity, and was subsequently widened to six lanes (three in each direction) with a median by the Cobb County Department of Transportation. Turn lanes were only at the numerous traffic light
s. In the mid-1990s, Barrett Parkway was extended by a completely new median-divided highway
southwest of U.S. 41 to Burnt Hickory Road, then by widening Ridgeway Road south to Georgia 120, west of the city of Marietta. This was briefly called West Cobb Parkway (which created potential confusion with Cobb Parkway
).
Today, Barrett Parkway is densely packed east of U.S. 41 with major shopping centers and restaurant
s. West of U.S. 41, Barrett Parkway is mostly residential, but increasingly commercial near the intersection of Georgia 120 (Dallas
Highway). The southeast side of the road is more affiliated with Marietta and the northwest more with Kennesaw. A large industrial park
lies to the west. Stilesboro Road east from Barrett Parkway, and Old U.S. 41 south from it, meet at the historic Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
, next to the visitor center
.
Barrett Parkway is unique in that even though it is a major area route, it remains under local control (with exception to the state route portion) and was built entirely with county funds. Combined with the East–West Connector and Cumberland Parkway, the route doubly serves as a western by-pass of Marietta and connects the two major malls of the county, Cumberland Mall
and Town Center at Cobb. The route could possibly also carry a bypass
ed state route 5 in the near future, as the city of Marietta has been planning to have it moved away from downtown Marietta entirely, though no action has yet been taken on that measure.
Road in the north, about one mile (1.6 km) south to Georgia 120. Villa Rica
Road, which was realigned westward at 120 to meet Ridgeway to complete the loop, also had its parkway-widened portion renamed. Where a new highway was built to replace Villa Rica Road, what became "Old Villa Rica Road" at the time was then returned to being just "Villa Rica Road" again. The very short Villa Rica Way at Georgia 120 still retains that name, but was the original northern terminus for Villa Rica Road before its realignment to meet Ridgeway.
As a result of these changes, the Barrett Parkway name now ends at the east–west Connector near Austell. Its northeastern end is at Bells Ferry Road, east of which it continues as Piedmont Road (not to be confused with Georgia 237, the Piedmont Road in Atlanta). That road curves down around to the south, meeting Georgia 120 again on the other side of Marietta; here 120 is called Roswell
Road.
In November 2009, the long viaduct
over the flood plain of Noses Creek
and its tributary
Ward Creek was named the William "Bill" G. Jordan Bridge, in honor of the civil engineer
who designed it. It is located south of Villa Rica Road and north of Macland Road (Georgia 360) at 33.9156°N 84.6282°W. Due to the environmental impact
, this was the last and most expensive section to be built.
increase in a little-known referendum
in September 2005, one of the projects to be funded is making it a six-lane
highway from U.S. 41 to Georgia 120. This would give it as many lanes as some much busier roads in the county, and would contradict promises made to residents before initial 1990s construction. It would also bring the highway right up to the backs of many homes. The project was expected at the time to cost nearly 50 million tax dollars, including 38 million from the special local option sales tax, which also taxes basic necessities like groceries.
. Because of this, two new parallel routes are planned.
, the South Barrett Reliever is currently underway, extending the four-lane divided Barrett Lakes Boulevard southwestward down two-lane Greers Chapel Road to Cobb Parkway. The original Roberts Road behind (south of) Costco will be widened in the same manner, and eventually reconnected with itself across I-75 south of Home Depot on the other side. A new roadway will be constructed from this point eastward to Bells Ferry Road, including a second bridge across I-575. This would take the road through untouched forest
and next to a neighborhood.
The North Barrett Reliever consists of reconnecting the severed portions of Big Shanty Road, which now runs only from Bells Ferry Road west under I-575 to Busbee
Parkway. Instead of terminating before I-75 as it now does, it would continue west to the other side, and be a bus rapid transit
station and an interchange with the express lanes on the proposed Northwest Corridor HOV/BRT
. It would continue on to Barrett Lakes Boulevard and then into an office park, using the western part of a loop road (the part that was originally Big Shanty Road) to reach Chastain Road.
There is also a further "wish list
" that includes ramps from I-575 southbound to I-75 northbound, and vice versa, so that traffic will not have to use Chastain or Barrett to do so. However, this is unlikely to have an impact on traffic, as very few cars do this, and the few motorists that do would be unlikely to make a backtrack of five miles (8 km) extra just to use the ramps. The ramps would also likely be expensive due to the large amount of rock in the area, as is seen on both freeways where they cross the ridge
immediately north of where they split.
s have been installed by GDOT on both the northbound and southbound entrance ramps, and were activated along with the others on I-575 in 2008, as part of the Georgia Navigator
intelligent transportation system
.
Cobb DOT also operates a traffic camera
at this interchange, at Mall Boulevard to its immediate west, at the southwest corner of the I-75 northbound intersection, and at Barrett Lakes Boulevard. Adverse conditions observed on these cameras are displayed on small variable message sign
s to drivers coming from the northwest on U.S. 41, or from the southwest on Barrett Parkway, just before Old 41 (which becomes Main Street in Kennesaw and Kennesaw Avenue in Marietta). These are the last intersections before 41 and Barrett meet, allowing drivers to take an alternate route if necessary.
To the east, another camera is located at Piedmont Road and Canton Road, however there are no message signs in this direction. Elsewhere along the road, in either direction, there are no cameras or message signs at all.
From here, it then runs east to South Cobb Drive (Georgia 280), through the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District. In order to protect the historic covered bridge
(listed on the National Register of Historic Places
) and the natural area around it, it does not connect with Concord Road (called Spring Road through Smyrna), but rather goes under it. Additionally, the bridge carrying it over the highway has wooden siding
, so that it blends-in much better with the area, looking somewhat like a boxcar
. A rust
-colored bridge made of weathering steel carries the Silver Comet Trail
over the highway. This section was built last while these concerns were addressed.
This area is also notable for the deep, gorge-like cuts into the rock
, like between the Silver Comet Trail and Concord Road overpasses. photos
Built before the extension of Barrett Parkway, part of the eastward extension of this roadway was derived from an extended portion of Fontaine Road. The point where the two meet is now a trailhead
for the Silver Comet Trail.
, which is in contrast to the newly developed residential area around it. The road continues generally northeastward, crossing I-285, and ending at Cumberland Boulevard, opposite the Costco
entrance to Cumberland Mall. That entire stretch of roadway is in the Vinings area.
tracks. It crosses Sandy Plains Road at the Sandy Plains community, and meets Allgood Road and then Sewell Mill Road, its original end before being extended to Roswell Road (Georgia 120) around 1987. This road was widened to four lanes in three phases during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. It is mostly residential and entirely divided, with pin oak
, holly
, and other smaller trees in the medians, and left-turn lanes. This is the largest link between the mall and east Cobb.
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
in northwest metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
between western and northern Cobb County, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It runs from southwest of Marietta
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
, to the north and then northeast near Kennesaw
Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history...
, and continues on in both directions under other names. The portion of Barrett Parkway between I-575
Interstate 575
Interstate 575 is an Interstate Highway spur route in the United States, which branches off Interstate 75 in Kennesaw and connects the metro Atlanta area with the north Georgia mountains. I-575 is also the unsigned State Route 417 and is cosigned as SR 5...
and U.S. 41 is designated Georgia State Route 5 Connector. The road is named after Ernest W. Barrett
Ernest W. Barrett
Ernest W. Barrett was the chairman of the county commission in Cobb County, Georgia from 1965 to 1984. Barrett was also a former trustee of Kennesaw State University....
, the first chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners in the 1960s.
Much of the original Barrett Parkway was taken from the two-lane
Lane
A lane is a part of the roadway within a road marked out for use by a single line of vehicles in such a way as to control and guide drivers for the purpose of reducing traffic conflicts. Most public roads have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by Lane markings...
Roberts Road, which generally went from U.S. 41 to Interstate 75 and served an area that was rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
in nature. During the 1980s, dramatically-increased land development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
, most notably the extension of I-75 in 1977 (which cut Roberts Road in half south of Barrett Parkway), the construction of I-575 in 1980, and the completion of the major regional Town Center at Cobb shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in 1986, strained the road to capacity, and was subsequently widened to six lanes (three in each direction) with a median by the Cobb County Department of Transportation. Turn lanes were only at the numerous traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
s. In the mid-1990s, Barrett Parkway was extended by a completely new median-divided highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
southwest of U.S. 41 to Burnt Hickory Road, then by widening Ridgeway Road south to Georgia 120, west of the city of Marietta. This was briefly called West Cobb Parkway (which created potential confusion with Cobb Parkway
Cobb Parkway
Cobb Parkway is a major arterial road which runs northwest and southeast through Cobb County, Georgia. It concurrently carries both U.S. 41, and the much less-recognized Georgia 3...
).
Today, Barrett Parkway is densely packed east of U.S. 41 with major shopping centers and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s. West of U.S. 41, Barrett Parkway is mostly residential, but increasingly commercial near the intersection of Georgia 120 (Dallas
Dallas, Georgia
Dallas is a city in and the county seat of Paulding County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,544. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States of America under James K. Polk.-History:...
Highway). The southeast side of the road is more affiliated with Marietta and the northwest more with Kennesaw. A large industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
lies to the west. Stilesboro Road east from Barrett Parkway, and Old U.S. 41 south from it, meet at the historic Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Kennesaw Battlefield Park, at 905 Kennesaw Mountain Drive between Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia, preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign, and also contains Kennesaw Mountain...
, next to the visitor center
Visitor center
A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
.
Barrett Parkway is unique in that even though it is a major area route, it remains under local control (with exception to the state route portion) and was built entirely with county funds. Combined with the East–West Connector and Cumberland Parkway, the route doubly serves as a western by-pass of Marietta and connects the two major malls of the county, Cumberland Mall
Cumberland Mall
Cumberland Mall, located in the Cumberland district of Metropolitan Atlanta near the suburbs of Smyrna and Vinings, opened on August 8, 1973 and was the largest mall in Georgia, United States, when it first opened.-Early years:...
and Town Center at Cobb. The route could possibly also carry a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
ed state route 5 in the near future, as the city of Marietta has been planning to have it moved away from downtown Marietta entirely, though no action has yet been taken on that measure.
Renaming
In 2003, the county commission extended the name of the parkway southward along other roads. This included the short Ridgeway Road (to which the parkway itself was extended) which originally ran only from Burnt HickoryHickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
Road in the north, about one mile (1.6 km) south to Georgia 120. Villa Rica
Villa Rica, Georgia
Villa Rica is a city in Carroll and Douglas Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 4,134 at the 2000 census. By the 2010 census, the population had grown to 13,956. The estimated growth was around 211.34%...
Road, which was realigned westward at 120 to meet Ridgeway to complete the loop, also had its parkway-widened portion renamed. Where a new highway was built to replace Villa Rica Road, what became "Old Villa Rica Road" at the time was then returned to being just "Villa Rica Road" again. The very short Villa Rica Way at Georgia 120 still retains that name, but was the original northern terminus for Villa Rica Road before its realignment to meet Ridgeway.
As a result of these changes, the Barrett Parkway name now ends at the east–west Connector near Austell. Its northeastern end is at Bells Ferry Road, east of which it continues as Piedmont Road (not to be confused with Georgia 237, the Piedmont Road in Atlanta). That road curves down around to the south, meeting Georgia 120 again on the other side of Marietta; here 120 is called Roswell
Roswell, Georgia
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
Road.
In November 2009, the long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
over the flood plain of Noses Creek
Noses Creek
Noses Creek is a stream in Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is a significant tributary of the much larger Sweetwater Creek, in turn part of the Chattahoochee River basin. On topographic maps, it begins between Kennesaw and Marietta and flows generally south-southwesterly to just northwest of Austell...
and its tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
Ward Creek was named the William "Bill" G. Jordan Bridge, in honor of the civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
who designed it. It is located south of Villa Rica Road and north of Macland Road (Georgia 360) at 33.9156°N 84.6282°W. Due to the environmental impact
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
, this was the last and most expensive section to be built.
Widening
Despite being only a few years old, the newer section of Barrett Parkway is already slated to be widened. After a small minority of residents approved a sales taxSales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
increase in a little-known referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in September 2005, one of the projects to be funded is making it a six-lane
Lane
A lane is a part of the roadway within a road marked out for use by a single line of vehicles in such a way as to control and guide drivers for the purpose of reducing traffic conflicts. Most public roads have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by Lane markings...
highway from U.S. 41 to Georgia 120. This would give it as many lanes as some much busier roads in the county, and would contradict promises made to residents before initial 1990s construction. It would also bring the highway right up to the backs of many homes. The project was expected at the time to cost nearly 50 million tax dollars, including 38 million from the special local option sales tax, which also taxes basic necessities like groceries.
Reliever projects
Currently the only other east-west route across the Town Center area is Chastain Road, one exit to the north on both I-75 and I-575, which run parallel to each other between the Barrett and Chastain exits. Both of these are choked with traffic, particularly due to the mall (which can take nearly an hour to travel across during Christmas shopping weekends) and due to the rapid expansion of Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University, also referred to as KSU, Kennesaw, or Kennesaw State, is a public, coeducational, comprehensive university that is part of the University System of Georgia. The university's main campus is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, approximately north of Atlanta...
. Because of this, two new parallel routes are planned.
, the South Barrett Reliever is currently underway, extending the four-lane divided Barrett Lakes Boulevard southwestward down two-lane Greers Chapel Road to Cobb Parkway. The original Roberts Road behind (south of) Costco will be widened in the same manner, and eventually reconnected with itself across I-75 south of Home Depot on the other side. A new roadway will be constructed from this point eastward to Bells Ferry Road, including a second bridge across I-575. This would take the road through untouched forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
and next to a neighborhood.
The North Barrett Reliever consists of reconnecting the severed portions of Big Shanty Road, which now runs only from Bells Ferry Road west under I-575 to Busbee
George Busbee
George Dekle Busbee was an American politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1975 to 1983....
Parkway. Instead of terminating before I-75 as it now does, it would continue west to the other side, and be a bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
station and an interchange with the express lanes on the proposed Northwest Corridor HOV/BRT
Northwest Corridor HOV/BRT
The Northwest Corridor HOV/BRT is a Georgia Department of Transportation plan to put HOV lanes and bus rapid transit along Interstate 75 and Interstate 575 in the northwestern suburbs of metro Atlanta...
. It would continue on to Barrett Lakes Boulevard and then into an office park, using the western part of a loop road (the part that was originally Big Shanty Road) to reach Chastain Road.
There is also a further "wish list
Wish List
There are two types of wish lists: personal wish lists, and software User wish lists.Personal wish lists compile an itemization of goods or services they desire. The list's author will then distribute copies of this list to family, friends, and other stakeholders who are likely to purchase gifts...
" that includes ramps from I-575 southbound to I-75 northbound, and vice versa, so that traffic will not have to use Chastain or Barrett to do so. However, this is unlikely to have an impact on traffic, as very few cars do this, and the few motorists that do would be unlikely to make a backtrack of five miles (8 km) extra just to use the ramps. The ramps would also likely be expensive due to the large amount of rock in the area, as is seen on both freeways where they cross the ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
immediately north of where they split.
Interchanges and traffic management
The road was Exit 116 and is now Mile 269 on I-75. It was Exit 1 and is still Mile 1 on I-575, which originally had no northbound exit to or southbound entrance from Barrett Parkway. Those ramps were not built until the late 1980s or early 1990s, a few years after the mall opened. In August 2007, new ramp meterRamp meter
A ramp meter, ramp signal or metering light is a device, usually a basic traffic light or a two-section signal light together with a signal controller, that regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways according to current traffic conditions...
s have been installed by GDOT on both the northbound and southbound entrance ramps, and were activated along with the others on I-575 in 2008, as part of the Georgia Navigator
Georgia Navigator
Georgia Navigator is an Advanced Traffic Management System used in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Department of Transportation , and was first activated in April 1996, just before the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.Most of the system is installed in metro Atlanta, where...
intelligent transportation system
Intelligent transportation system
The term intelligent transportation systems refers to information and communication technology that improve transport outcomes such as transport safety, transport productivity, travel reliability, informed travel choices, social equity, environmental performance and network operation...
.
Cobb DOT also operates a traffic camera
Traffic camera
A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, these are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, motorways, autoroutes and expressways, as well as arterial roads, and are connected with optical fibers buried alongside or even under the road,...
at this interchange, at Mall Boulevard to its immediate west, at the southwest corner of the I-75 northbound intersection, and at Barrett Lakes Boulevard. Adverse conditions observed on these cameras are displayed on small variable message sign
Variable message sign
A variable- message sign, often abbreviated VMS, CMS, or DMS, and in the UK known as a matrix sign,...
s to drivers coming from the northwest on U.S. 41, or from the southwest on Barrett Parkway, just before Old 41 (which becomes Main Street in Kennesaw and Kennesaw Avenue in Marietta). These are the last intersections before 41 and Barrett meet, allowing drivers to take an alternate route if necessary.
To the east, another camera is located at Piedmont Road and Canton Road, however there are no message signs in this direction. Elsewhere along the road, in either direction, there are no cameras or message signs at all.
East–West Connector
In southwest Cobb, at Powder Springs Road (original Georgia 5), Barrett Parkway changes name to East–West Connector, and bends southeast. Its intersection with Austell Road (currently Georgia 5) is a major commercial district, with a number of big-box retailers. The northwest corner is also home to Cobb Hospital. This section was constructed around 1986, while the section to Hicks Road was done in 1988.From here, it then runs east to South Cobb Drive (Georgia 280), through the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District. In order to protect the historic covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
(listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) and the natural area around it, it does not connect with Concord Road (called Spring Road through Smyrna), but rather goes under it. Additionally, the bridge carrying it over the highway has wooden siding
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
, so that it blends-in much better with the area, looking somewhat like a boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
. A rust
Rust
Rust is a general term for a series of iron oxides. In colloquial usage, the term is applied to red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture...
-colored bridge made of weathering steel carries the Silver Comet Trail
Silver Comet Trail
The Silver Comet Trail is a paved, multi-use, recreational trail in western Georgia.-Route:The Silver Comet Trail is a rail trail and is named for the Silver Comet passenger train that used the same route from 1947 to 1969...
over the highway. This section was built last while these concerns were addressed.
This area is also notable for the deep, gorge-like cuts into the rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, like between the Silver Comet Trail and Concord Road overpasses. photos
Built before the extension of Barrett Parkway, part of the eastward extension of this roadway was derived from an extended portion of Fontaine Road. The point where the two meet is now a trailhead
Trailhead
A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles...
for the Silver Comet Trail.
Cumberland Parkway
The highway becomes Cumberland Parkway at South Cobb Drive, and continues roughly northeast toward Atlanta Road (the original U.S. 41; called Marietta Boulevard nearby in Atlanta). The northeast corner of that intersection is now home to a mixed-use developmentMixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
, which is in contrast to the newly developed residential area around it. The road continues generally northeastward, crossing I-285, and ending at Cumberland Boulevard, opposite the Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
entrance to Cumberland Mall. That entire stretch of roadway is in the Vinings area.
Piedmont Road
Piedmont Road is the continuation of Barrett Parkway on the opposite (northeast) end, heading east from Bell's Ferry Road. From there, it crosses Canton Road (former Georgia 5) and Old Piedmont Road (a previous alignment), and the Georgia Northeastern RailroadGeorgia Northeastern Railroad
The Georgia Northeastern Railroad is a short line freight railroad which runs from the town of Elizabeth, Georgia to the city of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Goods hauled are mostly timber, grain, poultry, and marble products. The GNRR's subsidiary, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, also operates on this...
tracks. It crosses Sandy Plains Road at the Sandy Plains community, and meets Allgood Road and then Sewell Mill Road, its original end before being extended to Roswell Road (Georgia 120) around 1987. This road was widened to four lanes in three phases during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. It is mostly residential and entirely divided, with pin oak
Pin oak
Quercus palustris, the Pin oak or Swamp Spanish oak, is an oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae.-Distribution:...
, holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
, and other smaller trees in the medians, and left-turn lanes. This is the largest link between the mall and east Cobb.