DeKalb Co. homeowners frustrated with delayed repairs on dilapidated bridge

Homeowners in DeKalb County are frustrated with the timeline it’s taken to fix a dilapidated bridge in Conley.

“We deserve better,” Darlene Harvey says they’ve been waiting 4 years for improvements to the bridge, but from homeowners view, the project has been at a standstill.

“It’s just very, very dangerous at this point,” Harvey said.

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Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln found the county was required to close the bridge in March of 2020 after the Georgia Department of Transportation found the road to be unsafe for cars and the many 18-wheelers traveling in this area.

But residents say the closing has led to an increase in big rig traffic in residential zones.

“I know some of the residents in this area are definitely plagued by the trucks, the traffic, the noise, not to mention it’s tearing up our streets,” neighbor Debbie Jackson said.

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Channel 2 Action News reached out to DeKalb County where we learned the board approved $4.1 million in lost funds for the new bridge and a contracted company was hired to start design and construction.

The county said that the contractor is currently finalizing the design of the bridge and will work with Norfolk Southern Railway to approve permits before construction begins.

The county says this isn’t their typical bridge repair, because the bridge has a sewer line, a gas line, fiber optic cables, and an active railroad all running up underneath the bridge.

Because of the utility lines under the bridge, steps to reroute the lines are underway.

Because of the active railroad, they’re in what they are describing as extensive coordination with Norfolk Southern Railroad over construction logistics.

The construction of the bridge is expected to be complete in Spring 2025.

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