South Fulton County

South Fulton neighbors tired of bridge repairs that have been going on for years

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors are fed up that after three years, a broken bridge hasn’t been repaired. They say the detours are costing them time and money.

“Enough is enough,” neighbor Jewel Johnson said.

People who live in the Cascade area near New Hope Road are losing hope.

“I want this thing fixed immediately,” said neighbor Theresa Graves.

Some 40 neighbors met Channel 2′s Tom Jones at the Cascade Utoy Creek bridge that’s been under construction for nearly three years.

“So you’re telling me a two-lane bridge is taking in excess of three years?” neighbor Mike Edwards asked.

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They say the bridge work is turning their lives upside down. Neighbor Jeanette Ellis explained her detour routine.

“It takes me approximately 15 minutes to drive almost six miles out of the way to come back to this end of it,” she siad.

Jones asked the neighbors their level of frustration on a scale of one to 10 with 10 being the worst.

“10. Yes. Ridiculous. It’s just ridiculous.”

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The bridge is a major thoroughfare for traffic from Fulton Industrial Boulevard to Interstate 285.

The City of South Fulton sent Channel 2 Action News a response that says heavier than expected rainfall pushed back the expected completion date.

They said the work now is taking place on the bridge and with no further rain delays, it should be complete by the end of May.

That didn’t soothe irate neighbors.

“Another delay. It was December. It was first quarter. It became March and today is April something,” Audrey Carruthers responded.

Neighbors say what’s really frustrating is there are weeks when no one is working on the bridge. They just want to wake up from this nightmare as soon as possible.

“It’s been one excuse after the next. They make a commitment, they never meet the commitment,” Graves said.

The councilwoman for the area, Catherine Rowell, said she understands their frustration, and that the project ran into some serious complications.

Neighbors are concerned emergency crews will be delayed getting to them because of detours.

Once again, the city hopes to have the project completed by the end of May.

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