COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County road maintenance crews are working extended hours to catch up on their mowing schedule, which was delayed due to heavy rainfall and increased litter on the roads.
The mowing season, which typically ends on October 1, has been extended to October 31 to accommodate the backlog.
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The Cobb County Department of Transportation has been dealing with the aftermath of over 30 days of rain, which has significantly disrupted their schedule.
“It was unusual to have over 30 days of rain,” said J.D. Lorenz, Cobb County DOT Deputy Director. “When we do have a heavy storm come through, we have a number of trees that are down, and we will actually supplement the grass crews with other crews.”
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell that between April and June, DOT crews responded to more than 300 flooded roads and nearly 900 downed trees.
They also handled over 500 debris removal requests, which is double the number of calls compared to last year.
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Complaints were received about tall grass and weeds as the crews struggled to maintain the roadsides.
“They’ve mowed and then a rainy day would come, and then it would grow and make it look like we hadn’t been there,” Lorenz explained.
In addition to the weather-related challenges, crews are removing more litter from roadways than ever before. Last year, they removed 124 tons of litter, and this year they are on track to remove between 140 to 145 tons.
“We’ve allowed the tractor crews to work a bit longer than they normally do,” Lorenz noted.
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