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Cheshire Bridge business owners fear they won’t survive road closure
Google maps shows the bridge, now demolished, over South Fork Peachtree Creek.
The Atlanta Fire Department battles the bridge blaze on Aug. 5.
By Collin Kelley Demolition crews have removed a fire-damaged bridge over Peachtree Creek that has kept Cheshire Bridge Road closed for four months, wreaking havoc on local businesses, and causing headaches for residents. However, reconstruction of the bridge is not expected to begin until sometime in the new year. Businesses impacted by the closure said they weren’t sure they would survive until the road reopens. The bridge was closed to traffic after a fire severely compromised its safety in early August. Cheshire Bridge Road remains closed between Woodland and Faulkner roads. According to the ATLDOT, a demolition contractor was selected in late September and vendors worked to move power, water, gas, cable, and phone lines off the bridge and around the construction zone. “We are grateful for the patience and continued support of the local community in the face of the tremendous inconvenience caused by the Cheshire Bridge closure,” said Atlanta Department of Transportation Commissioner Josh Rowan. “Issues encountered during the utility relocation process have delayed the
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start of demolition, but work should progress well from this point.” At press time, Rowan said in a statement that his office was preparing a bid package for design and construction and expected to have a contractor on board soon after demolition was complete. “We remain committed to getting the bridge demolished and replaced as safely and quickly as possible,” Rowan said. Sachi Takahara, owner of Nakato Japanese Restaurant, said businesses along Cheshire Bridge are struggling. “There are businesses along Cheshire Bridge that are doggy-paddling trying to stay afloat because of the road closure and that’s on top of COVID,” Takahara said. Nakato is closer to the Piedmont side, but Takahara said she’s seen a noticeable dip in customers and sales. She called the lack of communication from the city with businessowners and stakeholders a “fiasco.”
Takahara recalled the I-85 bridge fire in 2017 and how it was repaired in three months. “If they can rebuild that bridge in a few months, they can do the repair on Cheshire Bridge in less than a year.” Sara Keith, director of the Atlanta School of Photography, said the bridge closure would eventually be a “death sentence to businesses in this area.” Jennifer Ohme, senior consultant for the Piedmont Heights Alliance, said businesses along Cheshire Bridge had seen up to an 80 percent drop in sales. She said the closure not only hampers customers getting to businesses, but also deliveries. “We’ve asked the city to install more
signage that businesses are open and for detours around the closure,” Ohme said. As further evidence in the breakdown of communication, Ohme said she only found out about the start of the bridge demolition work after Atlanta Intown forwarded her a statement from the DOT. Daniel Dailey, owner of Johnny’s Pizza, started one of several online petitions to spur the city to action. “The detour around the Cheshire Bridge has had a dramatic impact on street traffic and foot traffic,” Dailey said. “In the first three weeks, I saw a 30 percent decline in total sales and a 50 percent decline in dine-in sales.” Dailey said he’d been told it could take as long as 18 months for the bridge to be repaired. “Many businesses will not survive if repairing and rebuilding this bridge is not a priority.” Ohme said businesses are not the only ones suffering. She said traffic has increased significantly on residential streets as motorists detour around the closed bridge and many residents have reported their morning commutes taking 15 minutes longer. There has also been disruption in mail and package delivery as well as MARTA’s bus routes. At l a n t a I n t o w n Pa p e r. c o m
