Why Don’t the Roads Look Maintained? – An Update

We've noticed some recent letters about tall grass and weeds along Cobb's roads, and we want to share what's been going on behind the scenes.

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. In total, they oversee approximately 5,000 miles of roads across the county - including many state-owned roads.

This spring and summer have been tough. From April through June, heavy storms and frequent rain kept the team tied up with:

• 309 flooded roads
• 895 calls about downed trees
• 560 debris removal requests

On top of that, rain washed out 36 days of scheduled mowing.

Normally, the goal is to mow medians every one to two weeks. But with all of the storm damage, that schedule stretched to two to three weeks. The good news is that with better weather and a lot of hard work, 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. Learn more about Cobb's Road Maintenance at https://www.cobbcounty.gov/transportation/roadway-maintenance