The Atlanta Braves revealed new information about the proposed bridge that would span I-285 on Tuesday along with a video, posted below, showing what the finished product might look like.
Critics have been harsh on the bridge, and for some fair reasons. First, the team itself would only be on the hook for $380,000 of the total cost. With the bridge itself costing $10 million, (a number that many think is far too low an estimate by the way) and another $3.5 million to reinforce the parking deck at the Cobb Galleria, that would make the Braves responsible for a whopping 3.5% of the total cost, with the rest coming from the Cumberland Improvement District, (they voted to give $5 million last week) and federal transportation funds from the county. That’s a hefty price-tag for a project which seems to benefit one billion-dollar professional sports entity.
Then there’s the question of where the bridge actually goes. As of now the Cobb Galleria, (home of the InsiderAdvantage offices) has not agreed to let the Braves use their parking decks for stadium parking. In fact, as of now there is no Braves parking available inside the perimeter within walking distance. There’s still time to get that minor issue sorted out, but it might be smart to try and do so before signing off on a massive bridge project.
As for the project itself, the bridge will have lanes for pedestrians as well as a bus lane for transportation from such nearby destinations as Marietta Square, which has already agreed to let people park nearby and shuttle the mere 10 miles and 40 minutes the trip will take on a weekday evening.
The Cobb Commission could approve the bridge as soon as their next meeting on January 26th.
Video courtesy of AJC.com
