DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — After a 90-day closure for construction and repairs, the North Druid Hills Road bridge reopened to drivers and pedestrians on Wednesday morning.
Triple Team Traffic’s Mark McKay confirmed the bridge was open, driving across early Wednesday.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The bridge has been closed for months while crews worked to reconstruct the bridge as part of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s I-85 at SR 42/North Druid Hills Road Project.
The section of the new State Route 42/North Druid Hills Road bridge over North Fork Peachtree Creek was closed to drivers and all other traffic since April 29 to “expedite the demolition and reconstruction of the old bridge,” which was originally built in 1962, according to GDOT.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Nearly 20 people forced out of their Cobb County homes because of flash flooding
- Illegal evictions on the rise: DeKalb woman says she was forced out of her apartment at gunpoint
- ‘We share the passengers’ frustration’ Delta pilot speaks about flight delays, cancellations
Now set to return to normal operations, GDOT said they were thankful for the patience of drivers and the coordination of their community partners, which they said let them build the new bridge quickly and safely.
“We are pleased to open the new North Druid Hills Road bridge over North Fork Peachtree Creek,” said Georgia DOT Principal in Charge, Albert (Butch) Welch. “This is a major thoroughfare that carries an extensive amount of traffic, which is why crews worked diligently to replace the bridge and to minimize the duration of impacts to the traveling public.”
As part of the reconstruction effort, the new bridge structure was built wider and better equipped for increased traffic levels, GDOT said. Crews also added more features to make the bridge safer for pedestrians, and compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act needs at crosswalks, with wider sidewalks.
The new bridge has three vehicle lanes in each direction as well as pedestrian access on the bridge’s southside, though additional construction activities will continue as workers finalize adding a fourth lane to each direction and an extra sidewalk on the northside.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
IN OTHER NEWS:
This browser does not support the video element.