New bridge completed, major artery reopens in DeKalb County

A major artery in Brookhaven is back open.

The North Druid Hills bridge had been closed for three months while the Georgia Department of Transportation replaced the bridge between I-85 and Buford Highway.

Workers at the gas station and liquor store near the bridge told Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach they have been hanging on waiting for this day.

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A McDonald’s restaurant was nearly cut off from customers during the construction.

The bridge was completed in time for Wednesday morning’s rush hour.

“I live not too far in Brookhaven and it’s been a mess trying to go around. So I’m just excited that it’s open again,” driver Brandi Washington-Curry said.

The replacement project took nearly three months and finished ahead of schedule.

There are three lanes in each direction with full shoulders and sidewalks.

It’s better for drivers and nearby businesses.

“Customers are a lot happier the road’s opened up. We have been a lot busier this morning,” LUV Car Wash General Manager Mario Ray said.

LUV Car Wash had one entrance completely blocked until the road reopened.

Ray said they lost hundreds of monthly members since the closing, but he hopes to get them all back now that the bridge is complete.

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“It was all closed off and making all of our customers had to go all the way around and use Buford Highway in order to get in. So inconvenience alone was hard on them,” Ray said.

One reason the project needed to be finished now to get North Druid Hills Road reopened is the new Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hospital near the bridge is set to open in about two months.

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