BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — A busy stretch of North Druid Hills between I-85 and Buford Highway will temporarily close for several months starting Friday night.
“Druid Hills and Buford is a mess, period. So shutting down a block of a street will make it bad,” said Felicia Brown, who is among the many residents worried the temporary closure of the bridge on Druid Hills Road over North Fork Peachtree Creek will create a major traffic nightmare.
“It will be an inconvenience for the people who work on this street, such as myself. So I would have to reroute myself to get to work in the middle of where they're shutting it down,” added Brown.
According to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the area will be shut down for 90 days to reconstruct the bridge. During that time, drivers are encouraged to use a 5-mile detour that takes them down Buford to Clairmont Road, where they will then get on I-85.
The change is expected to add an estimated 10-20 minutes to your commute, depending on traffic. Pedestrians are being asked to utilize the Peachtree Creek Greenway Path at Corporate Boulevard and Buford Highway.
Natalie Dale, with GDOT, says the inconvenience is all worth it.
"For short-term pain, you’re going to get long-term gain as far as this bridge rebuild is concerned. You’re getting a wider bridge, better pedestrian accommodations, better ADA accommodations, and so yes, the bridge is getting a great upgrade,” said Dale.
Dale adds that the improvements are necessary because the bridge was built in the 1960s. They hope that closing all lanes will help speed up the process.
"When you do it a different way, it takes longer and longer, and that inconvenience to motorists is stretched out over time," Dale goes on.
Still, those who 11Alive spoke to are far from excited about the road work.
“From the hours of 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., it’s pretty busy, it gets pretty congested. It’s going to be a lot more traffic jams on this side, a lot more clutter, but it’s the hustle and bustle,” said resident Joseph Cameron.
"You think it’s gonna be done in three months? No, they move slow, so that’ll be more like six months to a year before we can get back to using the street because I don’t think it’s going to be done in three months and I think it’s an inconvenience”, echoed Brown.
GDOT tells 11Alive they believe they will make the 3-month deadline, and when the road reopens, the bridge will be wider and more ADA and pedestrian-friendly.