Coweta Residents Frustrated Over 121st Street Bridge Closure

A closed bridge on 121st Street just east of Highway 51 in Coweta is turning into a headache for folks who live in the area.

The small bridge has been through a lot. Heavy rains flooded the area back in July, washing out part of the concrete, and on top of that, a car accident left the guard rail mangled.

"We just really wish it would open back up," says Joe Cash.

Cash says a lot of people use the road to get to Highway 51. Now, because the bridge is closed, drivers are cutting through his neighborhood.

"It needs to be opened up pretty soon, it's becoming a safety hazard for the neighborhood roads that people are cutting through now," Cash said.

He says a few people used to cut through before, but now that number has gone up.

"Can't let our kids out to play in the street anymore during high traffic times, we just can't even put the kids on the street anymore on their bikes, the roads are just too narrow in our neighborhood," he said.

The city says they want to fix this bridge as soon as they can, but the hard part is finding a contractor to get the job done.

City Manager Roger Kolman says they've called several contractors already who say they're either too busy to provide a bid or can't do that type of work.

"We even went to the county because they are in the business of building bridges and ran it by them and they took a look at it and it was too complex of a job for them to be able to do," Kolman said.

He says he appreciates people being patient with the city and knows how frustrating it can be for the folks living in that area.

"It's such a challenge for our citizens too that they're used to traveling on a particular piece of roadway, and when that roadway becomes no longer available, it discombobulates your whole day," Kolman said.

He says they're currently talking with a contractor and hope to get a bid on the project soon, but he says it could still be months before the bridge is fixed.