Cobb County posted the following news release on its website, responding to complaints of overgrowth along the county’s roadways:

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 www.cobbcounty.gov/transportation/roadway-maintenance

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About the Cobb County Department of Transportation

When a county’s Department of Transportation is mentioned, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

If you’re like most people, it’s probably the maintenance of county roads and traffic signals. Cobb DOT is certainly responsible for that.

But there are other aspects of a transportation system than just making sure cars don’t fall into potholes and traffic signals work. The department is involved in the construction of the county’s impressive trail network, the operation of the Cobb County International Airport-McCollum Field, and planning for future transportation needs. Cobb DOT engineers also provide the Cobb County Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners with information on the likely traffic impact of decisions at zoning hearings.

The Cobb DOT director, currently Drew Raessler, attends nearly every Board of Commissioners meeting and requests permission and funding for a wide range of projects.

The Cobb County DOT website describes the responsibilities of the department as follows:

The Cobb County Department of Transportation (DOT) develops, manages, and operates Cobb County’s transportation system. This system includes a vast network of roadways, sidewalks, and trails; a transit system that provides public transportation; and an airport that serves business and recreational flying needs.

The Director and Deputy Director oversee all functions of the Cobb DOT.

Cobb DOT consists of several divisions, including engineering, traffic operations, planning, airport, transit, and road maintenance. It also includes support services, which is a general designation for services that support Cobb DOT across all divisions.