SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — After nearly seven months of detours, the Georgia Department of Transportation just opened the new Mt. Vernon Highway Bridge over Interstate 285 on Monday.
In late September, an overweight truck carrying construction equipment crashed into the existing bridge over I-285. GDOT opted to accelerate the replacement bridge already under construction, rather than repairing the existing structure.
"It's been frustrating for all of us from the beginning, but I have to say the Georgia Department of Transportation has been an unbelievably great partner for us," Paul told 11Alive last week. "They've done everything they could to accelerate the construction."
Paul also said it's good news for the 19,000 cars that have used this bridge for the past several years that will now be able to finally access it once again after months. Paul called it a "nightmare" but is happy to have it back open.
Paul said the Mt. Vernon Bridge is one of three east-west connectors in this part of Sandy Springs. Shifting the traffic elsewhere has been a challenge for those who live in the area.
"We're hoping that everything goes well and we're able to use this bridge," said Tricia Gebhardt, who lives near the bridge. "It obviously does alleviate a lot of traffic on 285 and the surrounding roads.
She's grateful to see the solution ready to open.
"I'm glad that the bridge was already in the works so they didn't have to start from scratch," she said. "(The first days) were bad, but everybody got together and quickly figured out a solution to workaround."