ALPHARETTA, Ga. — One year to the day after it closed, Kimball Bridge Road over Georgia 400 in Alpharetta is expected to open on Wednesday afternoon. Crews tore down the old bridge and replaced it with a taller and wider bridge, complete with a multi-use trail and sidewalk.
It’s one of three bridges the Georgia Department of Transportation has replaced along Georgia 400 in the past year, at a cost of $48 million. Pitts Road and Roberts Drive in Sandy Springs also have new bridges that are expected to open in June. The work is in preparation for the future express lanes along Georgia 400.
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“For the most part, I think everybody’s thrilled that it’s gonna be open,” said Richard Lawson, who lives near the bridge in the Braeden subdivision. “And it’s a beautiful looking project.”
The City of Alpharetta worked with the DOT on bridge aesthetics, designing it with stonework and lampposts. Lawson said the multi-use path will make it safer for walkers and bicyclists to cross the bridge.
“It’ll be nice to have those wide sidewalks,” he said. “Getting down to the park was a bit of a challenge if you were on a bike.”
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Manjula Reddy also lives in the neighborhood and told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims that she appreciates the pedestrian-friendly design of the bridge. But she’s especially glad that a year of detours is over.
“I am so excited that I don’t have to drive around through Old Milton (Parkway) or go around anywhere, so I love it,” she said. “I’m so looking forward to the bridge opening.”
The old bridge was more than 50 years old and was only two lanes wide. The new bridge has four lanes for traffic with a raised median.
“As the bridge nears completion, continued construction activities will include final roadway striping,” according to a statement from the City of Alpharetta. “Additional work will be required for the placement of the decorative fencing and pavers, as well as general clean-up over the coming weeks.”
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