Wow - stirring up some controversy again with traffic in Marietta - thoughts anyone?

Marietta mayor Bill Dunaway unveiled a new alternative for a connector linking Powder Springs Street to South Cobb Drive.

Calling it “the single most important traffic improvement we can have in Marietta,” Dunaway said he now prefers a new alternative that would begin and end further southwest on Powder Springs. The entrance and exit would be on the Marietta side of the Brown Stone subdvision, a section currently undeveloped.

“This would be a true parkway with very limited access and it would free up the rest of Powder Springs to local traffic,” the mayor said in a speech to the Marietta Division of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

But the plan is still in its infant stages, and Dunaway said engineering studies are incomplete. Still, he labeled it as the “best” route available. “Even if it costs a little bit more, to me, it would be worth it,” he said.

But Dunaway didn’t rule out any of the connector plans, including the most controversial option, a four-lane link at Chestnut Hill Road. However, local residents, and Ward 2 councilman Grif Chalfant, are opposed to that route, saying it would increase traffic through the Whitlock Heights subdivision.

Dunaway admitted “it’s hard to sell and make people realize that this can be done effectively.” He said the city has had previous success controlling traffic through residential areas.

“Personally, I can accept any one of these alternatives just as long as we get the connector,” the mayor said.

The city and county must come to agreement on a plan.