Meeting Wednesday on washed out bridges in Sandy Springs

By April Hunt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Residents can hear the latest plans for dealing with two washed out bridges at a meeting Wednesday in Sandy Springs.

Councilman Tibby DeJulio said he is hosting the session to explain plans for commuters who have had to detour around the Peachtree-Dunwoody bridge over Nancy Creek and the Riverside Drive bridge over Marsh Creek. The two spans have been closed since heavy rains and flooding damaged them on Sept. 22.

"People have realized what a mess we're in," DeJulio said. "The plans are changing daily, but I'm told we hope to have them fixed in six months."

The Federal Highway Administration last week announced it would cover the $4 million to $5 million cost to repair both bridges from its emergency funds. The state Department of Transportation will design and administer the projects.

State officials have completed damage assessments and preliminary work and may have the in-house design work done by Wednesday's meeting. The projects would then have to be advertised for bids, though it's unclear at this point if they will be let as separate projects or a single emergency project, said GDOT spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan.

"Getting a bridge done in six months is tight for us," she said. "We would not typically let this as a single project, but this is an emergency situation."

Other variables may delay the six-month goal to have the bridges rebuilt. The continued rain isn't helping.

"It's a big project," DeJulio said. "We want it done right."

Wednesday's meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Atonement, 4945 High Point Road. It is open to the public.