North Druid Hills Road bridge reopens to traffic in DeKalb County
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A major DeKalb County bridge is back open for traffic after having to shut down for months for construction.
On Wednesday morning, North Druid Hills Road reopened between Buford Highway and Interstate 85, bringing some relief to DeKalb County drivers.
The route was closed for 90 days while the Georgia Department of Transportation replaced the entire bridge over North Fork Peachtree Creek and updated the nearby I-85 interchange.
The original bridge was built in 1962, and officials said it needed to be demolished and reconstructed. Drivers at the time had to go on a 5-mile detour around the construction zone.
(Georgia Department of Transportation)
"We are pleased to open the new North Druid Hills Road bridge over North Fork Peachtree Creek," Georgia DOT Principal in Charge Albert (Butch) Welch said. "This is a major thoroughfare that carries an extensive amount of traffic, which is why crews worked diligently to replace the bridge and to minimize the duration of impacts to the traveling public."
The new bridge structure is wider and better equipped for higher traffic levels, GDOT officials said. It also features wider sidewalks and ADA-compliant ramps at crosswalks.
Work on the outside sections of the bridge is still ongoing. As of Wednesday, three lanes in each direction are available. That should expand to four lanes in each direction when construction is finished.
The work is part of the larger I-85/North Druid Hills Road improvement project, which will add a displaced left turn for drivers heading westbound to I-85, construct an additional bridge over the interstate, and add a braided ramp from the I-85 northbound off-ramp to the I-85 northbound access road.
The project is set to be finished in 2025.