KENNESAW, Ga. — As of Jan. 5, you can no longer drive your car to the top of Kennesaw Mountain.
The national battlefield park is closing the mountain road for private vehicles in a bid to reduce traffic congestion and make it safer for visitors.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan was at Kennesaw Mountain Park, where reports of accidents on the steep, narrow and winding road are a cause for concern.
Regan was told that emergency medical technicians have had trouble responding to emergencies on the road due to congestion.
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Starting Monday, there’s a barricade on the road to stop private vehicles, which the National Park Service says is for public safety.
Channel 2 Action News was able to take a final ride up the steep, narrow and twisting mountain road, which is only about 1.5 miles long, that hikers often use because i t’s easier than other trails to the top that are rockier.
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“As a hiker, you need to be cognizant of drivers coming up because there are sharp curves,” Hiker Lisa Garner told Regan.
Kennesaw Mountain Road, with few guard rails and plenty of blind curves, has been accessible to private vehicles for decades as part of the National Battlefield Park when it was established in 1935.
But it’s accessible no longer.
“Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is beginning a safety improvement project,” Allyson Gantt, National Park Service, said. “On the mountain road, it’s really about reducing traffic congestion, improving visitor safety and of course protecting the historical and natural resources.”
NPS said over the years, the growing number of cars and hikers going up and down the treacherous road has become an increasingly dangerous mix.
“We have started to see increasingly frequent traffic incidents and with a mixture of pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles, there’s been potential for conflict,” Gantt said. “We have also had some medical emergencies.”
The mountain road will be accessible with daily shuttle services, by bicycle or on foot, and a newly striped pedestrian lane will be open to walkers and hikers.
Regular hikers who spoke to Channel 2 Action News said they support the change.
“I do see a lot of pedestrians, so I do think it makes sense to make it just for pedestrians and buses with more visibility, as opposed to private vehicles,” Hiker Morgan Davis said.
Park service members said the safety improvement project should be finished by spring.
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