Wall collapses onto unfinished toll lanes in Cobb County

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Drivers in Cobb and Cherokee counties are eagerly awaiting the opening of new toll lanes along I-75 and I-575 this summer, but the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes project may have hit a snag.

A retaining wall collapsed onto an unfinished portion of the toll lanes that sit along I-75 and Windy Hill Road in Cobb County.

"We had a failure on one of the retaining walls," said GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale.

The wall collapsed Friday night into Saturday morning.

"This happened over the weekend, so we couldn't get our inspection team on site until today," Dale said.

Once finished, the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes will stretch 30 miles on I-75 and I-575.

State transportation officials said the limited access “express lanes” will whisk drivers from Acworth or Canton to the Perimeter in minutes, even if traffic in the regular lanes is at a standstill.

The project is part of a planned 120-mile system of metro Atlanta toll lanes that state transportation officials say will make commuting easier and more predictable for those willing to pay by the mile.

That system already exists on parts of I-85 in Gwinnett County and I-75 in Clayton and Henry counties.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group