Atlanta's Cheshire Bridge Road saga continues with the latest news that the thoroughfare's reopening has been pushed further down the road, now set for mid-May. The constant delays have sent shockwaves through both the local community and business sector. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, city leaders previously claimed a partial reopening by April but were contradicted by the Atlanta Department of Transportation's more conservative estimation. Construction is expected to continue through the end of May.
Local residents have reached the end of their tether, expressing dismay over the road closure's impact on their daily lives. "We're really frustrated," Sherry Callan, a resident coping with the surge in traffic through her neighborhood, told FOX 5 Atlanta. The bridge near Faulkner Road has been out of commission since a fire in December — the second such closure in seven years, following a 2017 interstate bridge collapse and an earlier fire in August 2021 that caused significant damage and disruptions.
The community's discontent is echoed by business owners who bear the economic brunt of the prolonged construction work. David Martino, owner of Soap Hand Car Wash, revealed to Atlanta News First the financial losses his business has endured. "We have lost $180,000 in business this year because of this bridge, and last year, we lost all that money from the other bridge being closed," Martino lamented.
While the city's transportation department cites challenges including property access, document approvals, and inclement weather as causes for delay, some, like Martino, remain unconvinced by the city's new timeline. "I spoke to the construction guys that are in charge of doing all the works, and they say there’s no way that they can the job done by May 15," Martino detailed in his statement to Atlanta News First.
Amid the fray stands the city's promise to keep crews working around the clock to expedite the repairs, aiming for a May 14 reopening. With a community holding on to hope but tempered by a history of setbacks, only time will reveal if the city can adhere to its latest schedule.
