Aug. 9 Meeting Scheduled for Edgewood Avenue Bridge Closure

Representatives of the Atlanta BeltLine have scheduled a 6:30 p.m. community meeting Aug. 9 to discuss the planned closure and demolition of the Edgewood Avenue Bridge.

The meeting will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 25 Boulevard, near the Edgewood Avenue intersection.

BeltLine and city officials will answer questions and give updates on planned detours for motorists who travel by way of the bridge or live near it.

Built in 1906, the 200-foot-long concrete bridge connects Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park over a Norfolk Southern Corp. rail line between Airline and Gumby streets.

"This bridge, unfortunately, is one of the lowest-performing bridges in the city of Atlanta," BeltLine spokesman Ethan Davidson told East Atlanta Patch.

Translation: "It is on the verge of becoming unsafe; it’s a necessary replacement."

The bridge replacement discussions have been ongoing for the last nine months and the need for a new span is the reason why the BeltLine decided to construct the Eastside Trail in multiple segments.

The original plan was to build the trail from Monroe Drive and 10th Street to DeKalb Avenue. But it stops at Irwin Street. Once the bridge is replaced, the part of the trail to DeKalb will be done, Davidson said.