Cheshire Bridge Road Fire Update: Key Span Set To Partially Reopen Soon
ATLANTA, March 18, 2024
A new hope for a beleaguered city
Atlanta residents and business owners are expressing relief as officials announced plans to partially reopen Cheshire Bridge Road, a vital thoroughfare that has been closed for three months following a damaging fire.
The blaze, believed to have started in a homeless encampment under a span of the overpass, dealt a significant blow to a road that had already suffered from a similar fire closure in recent years. The resulting barricades have led to difficult circumstances for local businesses, such as the Laundry Lounge, that rely on the thoroughfare for customer access.
The impact on local businesses
“The hits keep on rolling, so this is difficult to deal with,” lamented Chris Stark, the owner of the Laundry Lounge. Stark launched his laundromat last August after a move from the Ansley Mall area, and he reports that business has declined by 10% to 15% since the road closure in December.
Stark marveled at the predicament, “It’s devastating to our business, there are bills to be paid, equipment notes that we owe. It’s really difficult as we’re trying to grow our customer base from ground zero and essentially just cut them off from being able to reach us.”
Steps to reopening
Prior to the reopening of the bridge, a small portion needs to be demolished and rebuilt due to the fire damage, according to Atlanta City Council member Alex Wan. Other sections must also be shored up. Wan projects that at least one lane will be reopened by April.
“It is an inconvenience for us, we think a lot about the businesses and other people that live on this road and how bad it is for them,” shared Atlanta resident Jay Johnson.
While the bridge remains closed to cars for safety concerns, train service has not ceased. The Piedmont Heights Alliance reports that CSX, the train company, is working with the Atlanta Department of Transportation to deter future encampments under the bridge. Measures include the installation of fencing, lighting, and sprinkler systems.
Addressing the root cause
Stark insists that more should be done to address homelessness at the source, such as offering alternative housing options. Otherwise, he speculates, “It’s going to continue to happen during the winter months.”
Although a partial reopening is expected to commence next month, no timeline exists yet for the full reopening of all lanes. Consequently, drivers are urged to respect detour routes until order can be fully restored.
Concerning precedents
Firefighters have been battling these recurring infernos since the morning of Dec. 20, when the first blaze erupted under the bridge between Faulkner Road and Piedmont Road. The fire compromised the integrity of the bridge, rendering it unsafe for vehicular traffic.
This incident followed a massive fire in August 2021 that destroyed another bridge close by, leading to new reconstruction. The diversion of traffic into residential neighborhoods as a result of these conflagrations has local entrepreneurs deeply worried about the potential negative impact on their operations.
