COBB COUNTY - Since 2005, Cobb County residents have seen their tax dollars fund the $110 million expansion of the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, construction on the new county courthouse by the Marietta Square and 251 transportation improvement projects.

This year has been a difficult one for the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax-funded program, as anticipated revenues fell below projections because of the economic recession. This caused some planned projects to be deferred or delayed until funding becomes available.

But substantial transportation projects remain on the horizon.

Here's a recap of the SPLOST program's fourth year:

New Superior Courthouse

Turner Construction broke ground on the 229,000 square-foot, seven-story courthouse in May and is expected to be open for occupancy in spring of 2011. The total cost of the project is $6 3 million, all of which is coming from the SPLOST fund. The courthouse will combine all of the county's court services on one campus and allow the Juvenile Court to move from its current location on County Services Road to the hub of Cobb's judicial operations on the Marietta Square.

Permanent power has been established and concrete slabs have been poured for the first five floors of the building. Metal stairways were put in place, masonry wall construction began on holding cells and metal stud construction of exterior walls began in October. Progress on the project can be tracked at oxblue.com/pro/open/turner/ cobbcountycourthouse.

Cobb County Adult Detention Center

The $110 million expansion is substantially complete, and will add more than 320,000 square feet and 1,152 beds to the detention complex, bringing its capacity to 3,077 inmates.

The expansion also includes a visitor's center, administrative building and housing tower, as well as renovations of the laundry, kitchen and booking areas. Use of the expansion is expected to begin within the next few months.

Transportation

Completion of projects within the SPLOST-funded 2005 Transportation Improvements Program continues to progress, with 251 of the 260 projects originally proposed either being under way or completed.

Of the 251 projects, 178 have begun the right-of-way acquisition phase, 150 were completed and 192 have initiated construction.

Throughout 2009, more than 50 projects were approved for construction for a total cost of almost $60 million, all 10 summer closures were opened before to the start of the new school year, and substantial projects such as the Jiles Road expansion in Kennesaw and the Austell Road at East-West Connector intersection improvements began construction.

In 2006, the Austell Road intersection was identified as one of the most accident-prone intersections in the county.

Improvements include a six-lane divided roadway on the East-West Connector from Lipson Drive through Hospital Drive South, dual left-turns from the East-West Connector eastbound to Austell Road northbound and dual left-turns from Austell Road Southbound to the East-West Connector eastbound. The project is expected to be completed in the spring, totaling $1.2 million.

The Jiles Road expansion includes three phases, with the first two facing May completion dates. The third is expected to begin in November, and will run from Cobb Parkway to Cherokee Street in Kennesaw.

Looking ahead

Some projects to look ahead for include improvements on Jamerson Road/Wigley Road, Canton Road and Childers Road.

Improvements on the Jamerson Road/Wigley Road project, which will create four lanes in the existing roadway at Kell High School, the addition of turn lanes, improvement to side streets, the addition of a sidewalk on the entire south side of the project and modifications to traffic signals throughout the project area, are expected to begin in February.

Canton Road between Hamby Drive Just north of Blackwell Road will include a raised concrete median, roadwork aesthetics, the filling of several sidewalk gaps and intersection improvements. The project is expected to begin construction early next year.

Childers Road will see improvements from Shallowford Road to the Fulton County line when construction begins in early 2010. Improvements include the addition of a sidewalk, a widening of the road and a reduction of hills and curves to improve safety and visibility. A roadway closure will be needed this summer to make a hill cut near Ellenwood Park Drive.

Information on SPLOST-funded projects can be found at www.cobbcip.org.