Edgewood Avenue Bridge Closure Affects Area Businesses

OLD FOURTH WARD — When city officials announced plans to replace the Edgewood Avenue bridge, the shops and restaurants closest to it were concerned about how it would affect customer traffic.

The city, in all of its communications to the public, sought to reassure shopkeepers, by reminding motorists affected stores would remain open.

But three weeks into the work that will replace the bridge and strech of Edgewood between between Krog and Randolph streets, some shops say business has been affected, though its still to early to tell how long that will last.

"We have received a lot of calls asking if we're open," Hong Vu, manager of Miso Izakaya, a popular Japanese eatery on Edgewood told East Atlanta Patch.

The city recenty put a white sign with the names of the businesses that are open, but Vu said it's overshadowed by the much larger detour and "road closed" sign.

"They see the sign up telling them the road is closed and they think everything is closed," she said.

The restaurant likely will post a message on its website to let customers know, Vu said.

That's an approach another business, the Lighting Loft, will take, too.

"You hear Edgewood and everybody just cringes," Steven Buchwald, Lighting Loft manager said. "It’s harder to see the businesses open sign. Your gut reaction is to turn around."

The year-long bridge replacement work comes as the Atlanta Streetcar project is underway at Boulevard and Edgewood, in effect, sandwiching the businesses between dual construction initiatives, he noted.

"Edgewood is getting a big transformation all at once."