A section of the Cheshire Bridge Road will remain closed to traffic for up to 10 weeks after a fire that may have started in a homeless encampment under the bridge, an Atlanta City Council member confirmed in a December 29, 2023 newsletter to his constituents.
Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan told his constituents in his newsletter that the bridge is slated to be repaired, all at once, over a period that may take up to 10 weeks. Wan explained, “it has been determined that it is better long term to complete the entire rehab work at once” rather than partially opening the bridge to accommodate some traffic while repairs are finished.
Though a homeless encampment under the bridge has not been officially named as the culprit of the December 21, 2023 fire, Wan reported that the city “had crews onsite” Friday “to remove items from the encampments” under the bridge “and at a nearby overpass.” The city leader confirmed, “I have discussed directly with the Mayor about developing and executing a strategy to secure these critical infrastructure assets going forward.”
“Please know that I have remained in contact with the administration on the project, but we have not had anything substantive to report out until today,” wrote Wan, adding that the fire’s destruction required coordination “with a variety of agencies and partners” to “assess conditions and [the] path forward.”
Calling the situation on Cheshire Bridge Road a “crisis,” Wan stressed his appreciation for the “continued patience” of his constituents, “especially those who live and work near the area.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D) toured a local “rapid transitional housing” project just days after the fire and declared that Atlanta would soon have to determine whether to “allow or disallow anybody to ever go up under a bridge to live and so consider that trespassing.” He said, “We don’t want any more fires under a bridge.”
A previous fire under the Cheshire Bridge caused it to be closed from August 4, 2021, until it partially reopened on October 31, 2022.
Atlanta Mission estimates there are about 2,000 homeless people in Atlanta who spend their nights on the street. Despite a spokesperson expressing shock after the fire, the agency noted that the homeless often “seek shelter under bridges and inside abandoned buildings” on its website.
The city’s first “micro-units,” which are primarily storage containers converted into small apartments with private bathrooms and access to social services, are expected to accept residents this month.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Cheshire Bridge” by Atlanta Department of Transportation.
