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Cheshire Bridge set to reopen Halloween day
After more than a year, Atlanta's Cheshire Bridge is set to partially reopen. It has been a rough road for some businesses who have been dealing with a loss of customers after the bridge had to be taken down and rebuilt following a fire.
ATLANTA - Sunday's dinner service at Taverna Plaka restaurant is set to be the last one impacted by the complete closure of Cheshire Bridge.
"Hopefully it's a treat as opposed to a trick, two lanes I'll take it," said Scott Duke, Owner of Taverna Plaka.
The bridge is set to reopen on Halloween Day, more than a year after a fire forced it to be knocked down over safety concerns.
Duke says the restaurant has been hit hard by the closure.
"We've been off by about 40% in our business and others have been off by 90% in their business," he said.
The bridge is only partially reopening Monday with one lane in each direction, but for Duke, it is better than nothing.
Repaired Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
"I love the Morningside neighborhood, but I'm sure they're tired of me using their streets as a detour," Duke said.
Anthony Gambino is already breaking in the new bridge. He walked across it Sunday to get to a business on the other side. He says it is about time it reopened.
"Every other week they're delayed for materials, delayed help, they're behind schedule, and then they got a crew out here that just knocked it out," he said.
Back at Taverna Plaka, the hope is with Cheshire Bridge Road back open, customers come back.
"Everybody is looking forward to having the bridge open and back to business," Duke said. "Post-covid, post bridge, hopefully back to normal business."
City leaders will be on hand for the reopening Monday at noon with one lane in each direction and one sidewalk. The rest of the bridge will reopen at a later date.