$5 Million Grant Approved For I-75/Akers Mill Ramp Improvements

MARIETTA, GA — Drivers using I-75 express lanes will soon have direct access to the Cumberland area after U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced a $5 million grant for the Akers Mill Ramp project. The federal grant will be combined with money from Cobb County, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Cumberland CID, and the State Road & Tollway Authority to complete the nearly $20 million project.

“The fact that so many groups are working together demonstrates how essential this ramp is for the continued economic prosperity of the county,” said Cobb County Chairman Mike Boyce. “The federal grant is appreciated, and I would like to thank all of those in our congressional delegation for helping make this happen.”

The Akers Mill Ramp will link up with the southern end of the express lanes to provide direct access to Akers Mill Road and the Cumberland area. Currently, the lanes do not provide easy access to Cumberland for the estimated 100,000-plus commuters who drive in and out of the area. Drivers who exit the lanes and want to make the Cumberland Road exit face a perilous quick five-lane merge.

Cobb County Department of Transportation Director Erica Parish says with much of the preliminary work for the ramp completed, construction on the ramp itself could now start in 2021.