Businesses continue to feel impact of closed bridge 3 months after fire

ATLANTA — First they survived the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now businesses like Taqueria del Sol are trying to survive the long-term closure of Cheshire Bridge Road in northeast Atlanta.

Nearly three months after a fire damaged the road, the bridge along the roadway remains shut down.

“It’s been a rough couple years with the pandemic and now this,” Taqueria del Sol owner Brian Shields said.

Shields told Channel 2′s Justin Wilfon that his restaurant continues to see a significant drop in customers.

His restaurant is the last stop before the road closes, so some of his customers can find him but he says others can’t.

“We use social media and let people know we’re still open,” Shields said.

Wilfon found the situation is even worse for other businesses.

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In order to get to the parking lot for some other businesses in the area, you have to go around barricades.

Wilfon contacted the city of Atlanta’s transportation department to see how much longer the repair work on the bridge could take.

They said the city has provided regular updates to area businesses, but businesses Wilfon spoke with said they haven’t heard a thing.

“I’ve not gotten any information from them,” Shields said.

The city of Atlanta has said that fire severely compromised the structure of the bridge. We’re still waiting to hear when the bridge could reopen.

RELATED NEWS:

Cheshire Bridge Road to remain closed after fire ‘severely compromised’ bridge That means drivers still need to detour around Cheshire Bridge between Faulkner Road and Woodland Avenue in northeast Atlanta.

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