Big Shanty Connector Phase IV

Big Shanty Road was bifurcated with the construction of I-75 in the 1970s. The Big Shanty Connector was built in 2012 in partnership with the Town Center Community, Cobb County and FHWA to reconnect the district and provide a new east/west connection in the area. Big Shanty Connector Phase IV is the final 0.4-mile portion of the Big Shanty Connector and addresses the portion of Big Shanty Road located between Chastain Meadows and Bells Ferry Road.

Big Shanty Road is a unique corridor with residential development to the east, commercial and industrial development as well as Kennesaw State University’s main campus to the west, which is home to many first-generation students. In addition, the corridor Area has experienced significant development/redevelopment with growth spurring from the Kennesaw State University and Fifth Third Stadium, the GRTA park and ride facility and the construction of the I-75 Managed Lanes system. Economic development in the area also has increased industrial and warehouse space along the corridor.

Completing the Big Shanty Connector Phase IV project will provide safer pedestrian access along this portion of the road; a roundabout for continuous, safer, traffic flow to adjacent neighborhoods; reduction of vehicles on arterial roads (Chastain Road and Barrett Parkway) and in residential neighborhoods; access for freight and logistics facilities; and enhanced access to the I-75 Managed Lanes.

This project will also provide a safer, multi-modal connection for pedestrians and cyclists to access transit and trails. With the mix of residential and student housing along the corridor, many students and employees use local trails and sidewalks to access school, work, and transit.  The majority of Big Shanty has a 10-foot, separated bike/ped trail. This final section aims to close trail gaps to provide connectivity to established trail networks, providing safe access to jobs and direct access to recreational amenities on the Noonday Creek Trail.