Coweta County, GA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 54-1 of the Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful for anyone to obstruct, encroach upon, or materially injure any part of a Coweta County road or county right-of-way, the strip of land that typically includes the paved travel lanes, shoulders, and any sidewalk within it. The ordinance defines "obstruct" broadly: it covers a buildup of rock, gravel, mud, dirt, or chemicals tracked into the right-of-way by repeated vehicle ingress and egress, as well as natural water that has been dammed or redirected in a way that creates a hazard for the traveling public.

The provision was originally adopted as § 54-120 by Ordinance No. 007-12 on March 6, 2012, and was later renumbered to § 54-1 to fit the code's chapter structure. Beyond the general chapter 1, § 1-15 penalty for code violations, a person who unlawfully obstructs, encroaches on, or injures a public road can be ordered to pay the county restitution. That restitution covers the county's actual costs to remove the obstruction or encroachment and to repair the road, including costs tied to traffic management such as flagging, signing, or setting up detours, but only to the extent those costs are directly caused by the violation.

The roads and bridges chapter cross-references chapter 58 (signs), chapter 74 (traffic and vehicles), and chapter 78 (utilities), so an obstruction involving an unpermitted sign, parked vehicle, or utility installation in the right-of-way can also trigger those separate ordinances alongside § 54-1.