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Access Atlanta

I-85 fix: Damaged local businesses seek compensation

Dean Chronopoulos, the owner of Roxx Tavern, has seen lots of traffic in front of his Cheshire Bridge Road business, as drivers navigate around the collapsed portion of I-85 in Atlanta. But few patrons stop in. MATT KEMPNER / AJC
Dean Chronopoulos, the owner of Roxx Tavern, has seen lots of traffic in front of his Cheshire Bridge Road business, as drivers navigate around the collapsed portion of I-85 in Atlanta. But few patrons stop in. MATT KEMPNER / AJC
By Matt Kempner
May 11, 2017

With Atlanta's I-85 bridge about to reopen, local businesses are struggling to dig out of damage caused by a month and a half of traffic gridlock.

Some want compensation or at least marketing help to win back customers scared off by congestion. But getting cold hard government cash is tough.

A new city survey shows more than 80 percent of area businesses polled say they have lost customers as a result of the interstate shutdown.

Find out what the governor has to say about helping local businesses, what the city of Atlanta plans and how long the business pain may linger even after I-85 is fixed, in my latest Unofficial Business column on MyAJC.com

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

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