COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Cobb County government is responding to recent letters from residents “about tall grass and weeds along Cobb’s roads.”
To cut to the heart of the matter, the county Department of Transportation said they wanted to share what’s going on behind the scenes.
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“Our DOT road maintenance team consists of a crew of approximately 30 dedicated individuals who handle a range of tasks, including mowing medians and shoulders, clearing debris, and ensuring the safety of our roadways,” the county said.
Those 30 individuals are charged with maintaining what the county said was about 5,000 miles of roads across the county, including many that are owned by the State of Georgia.
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On top of the thousands of miles they cover, and clip, county officials said the spring and summer this year were particularly tough, citing the heavy storms and frequent rain from April to June.
More specifically, officials said their team of 30 had to handle:
- 309 flooded roads
- 895 calls about downed trees
- 560 debris removal requests
On top of that, the county said rain washed out more than a month’s worth of scheduled mowing.
Due to storm damage, the county’s usual one to two week mowing schedule was stretched to two to three weeks instead, but “the crews have made real progress and expect to be caught up by the end of the mowing season in October.”
“Looking ahead, Cobb DOT is using new tools like digital route maps and progress dashboards to help crews stay on track. While the budget doesn’t allow for more staff or outside contractors, the team is committed to finding better ways to keep our roads looking good — even when Mother Nature doesn’t make it easy," the county said.
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