Mitchell St. Bridge demolition clears the way for jobs, smoother travel in Atlanta

As I recently blogged, this summer is shaping up to be the most active Recovery Act season yet. Across the country, Americans are getting back to work on important local projects that had previously been at a standstill due to lack of funding.

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez visited one of these projects last Friday when he traveled to Atlanta to witness the demolition of the Mitchell Street Bridge. Construction of a replacement bridge will get underway soon.

FHWA Administrator Mendez talks with city and state officials in Atlanta.

Although the new bridge isn’t expected to open until 2012, this project is already fulfilling President Obama's pledge to support good jobs, improve our national infrastructure, and create new opportunities for local economic growth.

Until recently, the Mitchell Street Bridge, a key crossing over the Norfolk Southern railroad, had been helping Atlanta residents get around since 1924. But, back in March 2008, Georgia officials were forced to close the bridge to all traffic. Structural deficiencies had made it unsafe for travel. 

Now, this was a real blow to the people in Atlanta. They lost a vital connection to the downtown area that was used by thousands of commuters, trucks, and transit buses each day. And there just wasn’t enough money available in the budget to make the necessary fixes that would get this bridge up and running again.

Mendez meets with workers in front of the Mitchell Street Bridge site.

But, because of $8.8 million in Recovery Act money, things are looking up for Atlantans. Friday's demolition clears the way for the construction of a better, safer bridge that will ease congestion and improve access to downtown attractions like the Atlanta Federal Center, the Georgia Dome, and the CNN Center.

Of course, this isn't the only benefit.  The Mitchell Street Bridge project is also creating jobs. About 120 people are being put to work on the reconstruction effort. And the positive effects of those jobs will be felt throughout the entire community, as contractors buy supplies from local businesses and workers spend their paychecks on food and other needs for their families.

Even better, this is just one of the 369 highway projects the Recovery Act is paying for in Georgia. As FHWA Administrator Mendez said on Friday, “These projects are creating thousands of jobs. They are making roads safer and travel easier, and they will help people spend more time with family and friends and less time stuck in traffic.” 

Drivers in downtown Atlanta are one step closer to having a newer, safer bridge to call their own. And, as President Obama recently said, we're all one step closer to "rebuilding America's economy by rebuilding America."

Comments

[Michelle]

Too bad it was programmed before GDOT's routine inclusion policy was passed, and therefore will not have a bike lane. It's on my bicycle commute route.

[Rebecca]

Yes, too bad! Our organization tried to get a bike lane included but the project was already designed by the time we got involved. It had been used by bicyclists as a great, no-traffic connection during the period when it was closed to motor vehicle traffic, to the point that local cyclists dubbed it the "Bike Bridge"...

[Jim R Hyde Jr]

Just what Atlanta needs is another "smooth" bridge so the people there can drive 90mph on. I drive down in that area on a regular basis in a semi-truck that has a radar device attached to the front bumper (OnGuard Collision Safety System), and I can tell you that the reason Atlanta has so many accidents is because of speed. People are driving 20-30mph over the speed limit (even in construction zones) and absolutely no enforcement from the cops. I don't blame them though; they do all this paperwork and have to appear in court only to have the judge dismiss or reduce their efforts.

[Michel Phillips]

Creative Loafing says it will have a bike lane one-way, and thankfully not adjacent to parking:

"will be replaced with a new three-lane structure and include a parking lane on the south side. The north side will feature sidewalks and a bike lane."

http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2010/07/19/mitchell-street-bridge-replacement-project-finally-underway

[Michelle]

Sweet! Just confirmed this with GDOT. Don't worry, there will be sidewalks on both sides. I'm inquiring into the design of the bike lane & how it will accommodate thru and turning bicycle traffic once it reaches Spring St. I've seen a huge increase in people bicycling this summer, despite the heat, so these details are really important.