Cheshire Bridge Road may partially reopen Thursday after fire under bridge

ATLANTA - Although a portion of Cheshire Bridge Road was still closed on Thursday morning because of a fire underneath a bridge, it may partially reopen on Thursday, according to officials. Crews from both the city and state are making minor repairs to the 90-year-old bridge.

ORIGINAL STORY

Drivers are being told to avoid a major Atlanta road after a fire broke out under the Cheshire Bridge overnight.

Fire crews arrived at the scene on Cheshire Bridge Road between Faulkner Road and Piedmont Road to find a large fire roaring under the bridge and multiple people nearby.

While firefighters were able to put out the blaze in a short time, officials told FOX 5 that the bridge appeared to be compromised and not safe to drive over.

Officials are now waiting to see how much the bridge was impacted by the flames. At this time, Cheshire Bridge Road NE from just north of Faulkner Road NE to Piedmont Avenue NE is closed, according to Atlanta Department of Transportation. 

"This is going to be a developing scene," firefighter Matt Driver said. "This is going to be quite some time."

Firefighters expect the part of the road to be closed at least through the morning rush hour. All traffic is being diverted from Faulkner Road to Wellbourne Drive.

Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries in the fire.

Officials are still working to determine the cause of the blaze, but believe it may have started in a suspected homeless camp.

"When it gets cold like this, people are going to do what they need to do to stay warm," Driver said.

The bridge was still closed at noon on Wednesday. Officials told FOX 5 Atlanta that they will give an update later this afternoon. In the meantime, drivers are encouraged to avoid the area and find alternate routes. 

The fire comes just months after the road fully reopened to traffic after a gas fire shut it down for nearly two years.

Here is the list of suggested detours:

Piedmont Ave NE northbound
Continue north past Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Turn right onto Lindbergh Way NE eastbound
Lindbergh Dr NE intersects Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Piedmont Rd NE southbound at Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Continue south past Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Turn left onto E Morningside Dr NE eastbound
Continue eastbound as E Morningside Dr NE becomes E Rock Springs Rd NE
Turn left onto Johnson Rd NE northbound
Turn left onto Lenox Rd NE northbound
Lenox Rd NE intersects Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Piedmont Cir NE eastbound at Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Turn left onto Piedmont Rd NE northbound
Turn right onto Lindbergh Way NE eastbound
Lindbergh Dr NE intersects Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Cheshire Bridge Rd NE southbound at Lindbergh Dr NE
Turn right onto Lindbergh Dr NE westbound
Turn Left onto Piedmont Rd NE southbound
Piedmont Rd NE connects to Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Cheshire Bridge Rd NE southbound at Woodland Ave NE
Turn left onto Woodland Ave NE eastbound
Turn right onto Lenox Rd NE southbound
Turn right onto Johnson Rd NE southbound
Turn right onto E Rock Springs Rd NE westbound
Continue westbound as E Rock Springs Rd NE becomes E Morningside Dr NE
Turn right onto Piedmont Ave NE northbound
Piedmont Ave NE connects to Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Woodland Ave NE westbound
Turn right onto Cheshire Bridge Rd NE northbound
Turn left onto Lindbergh Dr NE westbound
Turn left onto Piedmont Rd NE southbound
Piedmont Rd NE connects to Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Lavista Rd NE westbound
Continue west past Cheshire Bridge Rd NE onto Lindbergh Dr NE
Turn left onto Piedmont Rd NE southbound
Piedmont Rd NE connects to Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Wellbourne Dr NE northbound
Turn left onto Cheshire Bridge Rd NE westbound
Turn right onto Piedmont Rd NE northbound
Turn right onto Lindbergh Way NE eastbound
Lindbergh Dr NE intersects Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

 On Aug. 4, 2021, a gas line under the bridge on the road ruptured, causing a fire that burned for hours. 

When the flames were put out, officials determined the bridge was too weakened to be saved. That set off more than an ordeal that lasted more than a year. Construction has blocked most of this stretch of road for customers, workers, and neighbors for 20 months. On Halloween of 2022, crews managed to reopen one lane in each direction.

With traffic diverted into residential neighborhoods, the impact devastated local businesses that were still reeling from the pandemic. Scott Duke, the owner of the Greek restaurant Taverna Plaka, says they saw business drop by 40%. Duke says that's still not the worst of the economic impact, saying he's heard from other retail spaces that lost nearly 90% of their business.  

Crews are hoping this fire will not have the same impact.