ATLANTA — Cheshire Bridge Road has fully reopened in Atlanta, roughly 20 months after a major fire required a massive reconstruction project.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the city's Department of Transportation will conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
A fire badly damaged the bridge over Peachtree Creek in August of 2021. The roadway was partially reopened last October with one northbound lane and one southbound lane.
The long-term closure cut off a major north-south artery running through neighborhoods to the east of I-85.
Businesses in the area felt a major hit when the closure occurred, having just begun to recover from COVID disruptions. Now, they say they couldn't be more thrilled about the grand opening nearly two years in the making.
"It was very difficult for businesses, not only for us but businesses around here," said Keivn Luu, the owner of Tailor's Art Cleaners, positioned less than a mile from where the fire broke out. "We've love to see you come back, please, the bridge is open!"
Overall, the construction contract with the city for the full project came in at about $7 million.
With the new construction, the strip that was rebuilt also now features wider sidewalks and bike lanes.
>> Re-watch ribbon cutting ceremony: