The Skip Spann Connector bridge crossing over Interstate 75 is nearing completion, with an opening date set for late April, according to Cobb County.
With nearly two years since construction began on the bridge, the opening date has been announced as “on or before” April 26. The remaining three months of construction will be dedicated to completing the median, the side fences, the staining and the lighting, according to Cobb County transportation director Jim Wilgus. The bridge is stated to be 94 percent complete.
The main goal of the bridge is to alleviate heavy traffic on Frey Road as Kennesaw State University continues to grow. ARCADIS, one of the two firms that designed the connector, said that the bridge should reduce daily traffic on Frey Road by 20 percent.
The bridge connects Frey Road to Busbee Drive, passing just over I-75. It allows easy access to Townpark Lane from KSU, as well as direct access to the East parking deck coming from Busbee Drive.
Since it began production, the bridge has been behind the original projected schedule. It was originally slated to begin construction in December of 2013, but construction did not kick off until April 2014. The original schedule set the completion date sometime later in 2015, but when construction began late that date was moved to May 7, 2016.
Wilgus said that there are parts of the project that are already open for use. The project was an agreement between KSU, Cobb Department of Transportation, the Town Center Area Community Improvement District and the state. Aside from the connector, the agreement included plans to create new access to KSU’s East parking deck, a roundabout at Busbee Drive, the connector, an extension to Town Park Lane and a new lane to the I-75 northbound on-ramp. All of these additional projects are already open.
The new road is named after the former KSU fundraiser and Towncenter Community Improvement Director Skip Spann. The $17.3 million connector will be 415 feet long and 108 feet wide.
