Edgewood Avenue Bridge Closes Today (For Real This Time)

OLD FOURTH WARD — After a month's delay, the planned replacement of the Edgewood Avenue bridge is to begin today.

The $4.5 million project is necessary because the 107-year-old, 200-foot bridge is on the verge of being structurally unsafe, city officials said last year at a meeting of Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward residents to discuss the plan.

Rather than repair it, officials said it would be more cost effective to build a new span.

The work was to have started in March but was pushed back to accomodate some utility work that had to be done first.

While the work is being done, the stretch of Edgewood between Krog and Randolph streets will be be closed to motor vehicle traffic.

Motorists will be detoured around the closed portion of Edgewood via route that runs from Randolph to Irwin to Krog streets and then on to DeKalb Avenue and finally Boulevard.

Pedestrians will be rerouted around the closed stretch via Randolph, Irwin and Krog streets.

As the new traffic flow will take a little getting used to, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Leave for work a little earlier than unsual to get used to the new traffic patterns and potential delays.
• Schools are out on Spring Break this week, so keep in mind that that traffic may be lighter than normal since the school buses and moms toting kids to school won't be on the roads this week.
• Keep an eye out for pedestrians who will be detouring it on foot. Unfortunately, cracked and missing chunks of sidewalks in Atlanta make walking all but impossible. That forces people into the street to bypass sidewalk hazards, so be cognizant of walkers.
• Stop signs are not suggestions, they're there to control speeding and improve safety for both motor vehicles and pedestrians. So don't breeze through them or use these residential streets as practice runs for the Monte Carlo Gran Prix. Do as they instruct and stop.