2010 News Archive
City repairs bridges to cut fire response times
Improvements could knock off up to three minutes
5/25/2010
Johns Creek is shaving off asphalt on bridges so the Fire Department can shave off response times.
The Public Works Department this summer will scrape off up to six inches of asphalt layered over four bridges through the years on Old Alabama Road and Bell Road.
The asphalt weighs tons, which limits how much more weight the bridges can handle. Pumper trucks can weigh up to 19 tons and ladder trucks can weigh 39 tons.
In addition to removing asphalt, workers will tighten and add bracing to beam supports, fix guardrails, remove debris from the streams, and place rip-rap to prevent erosion.
The bridge-work should allow firetrucks to use the four bridges, cutting response times between one and three minutes.
A survey by the state last year showed that 10 bridges in the city were borderline unsafe for firetrucks. The Fire Department re-routed some of its trucks to be on the safe side or, in a dire situation, would make its pumper trucks stop, halt traffic, and creep across. Ladder trucks had to avoid the bridges altogether.
When the work is done, the pumper trucks can roll over the bridges without pause, although the ladder truck will have to employ the stop and creep method of crossing.
The repairs include: Old Alabama Road over a tributary of Johns Creek; Old Alabama over Johns Creek; Bell Road over Cauley Creek; and Bell Road over an unnamed tributary to the Chattahoochee River.
The new grade on the bridge will be tapered on either side to ensure a smooth ride for motorists. The repairs should cost about $515,000.
Work should be done by Sept. 1. The other six bridges should be repaired by the end of the year.
Public Works crews also plan to resurface Old Alabama Road from Medlock Bridge and Jones Bridge roads, a distance of about four miles. Bell Road also will be resurfaced between McGinnis Ferry and Boles roads. The repaving effort should begin in June or July. The stretch of roadway has a low rating and has a history of pot holes.
Motorists also can expect a stretch of Old Alabama Road that currently has three lanes to become just a two-lane road. Often drivers will use the additional through-lane as a way to get around backed-up stacks of cars, creating a traffic hazard.
City workers also will be adding 500 feet of 10-wide multi-purpose trail along Bell Road to close a gap in the section from Rogers Bridge to McGinnis Ferry roads.