ATLANTA — The wait is over. More than 15 months after a natural gas fire destroyed the Cheshire Bridge, it has reopened after millions of dollars in improvements.
Channel 2′s Justin Carter recently visited the bridge in northeast Atlanta and spoke to people who use it every day.
Rahel Hailu, manages her family restaurant, Embilta Cafe, along the busy stretch, and was pleased to see it back open.
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“We lost a lot of our customers. We struggle to pay the bills,” Hailu said.
On Monday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and city leaders were out by the bridge to welcome people back. Two lanes are now open after a natural gas fire forced the city to demolish and completely rebuild it.
Jessica Fulton, the deputy commissioner for the Atlanta DOT and, said utility and service delays stalled the project but expected to see a lot of good change.
“When it’s open, you’ll have four lanes in each direction ... enough space for a bike lane and then the sidewalks, which used to be approximately four feet wide ... they are now about seven feet wide,” Fulton said.
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She says natural gas lines are now underground, and oversized stones were added to deter animals and people from getting hurt.
“We’re happy that we’re finally able to be open at that point,” Fulton said.
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