Fairburn Road bridge replacement project impacts South Fulton businesses

Fairburn road closure impacts traffic, businesses

City of South Fulton officials announced a six-month closure of Fairburn Road to replace two bridges over Utoy Creek.

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - A major road closure along Fairburn Road is sparking concern among South Fulton business owners who say the city failed to give advance notice about the project.

South Fulton road closure

What we know:

Crews with the City of South Fulton are shutting down Fairburn Road to replace two bridges spanning North and South Utoy Creek as part of the Fairburn Road Improvement Project. While Fairburn Road will remain open for local traffic, city officials recommend drivers use Lindhurst Drive to detour around the construction zone.

Business owners near the corner of Fairburn Road and Cascade Road said they were not notified of the shutdown via email or formal communication. 

South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs spoke directly with local business owners on Friday to acknowledge communication lapses and explain why the bridge replacements are necessary.

"Sometimes communication has been off, and we want to make sure we are in the front and talking to you all about these things that impact local businesses here in the community," Gumbs said.

Gumbs added that while weekend traffic around the corridor is challenging, replacing the aging infrastructure is vital for long-term city growth.

"There's a lot of things that are happening on this corridor. Weekends have been very challenging, but as we continue to move this city forward, this is part of our groove," Gumbs said.

The Fairburn Road closure begins Oct. 5 and is expected to last until spring 2027. City officials noted that intersection upgrades at Fairburn Road and Cascade Road are already complete.

What they're saying:

Destiny Kelly, owner of Salon NVME, said the disruption will harm customer access and increase commute times across Cascade Road and Fulton Industrial Boulevard. 

"A lot of our clients do like to come after, like 4 p.m., so that's rush hour time, so by them having to be in traffic already like that's going to cause our clients to want to go elsewhere," she said. "That's going to hurt the business a lot, so that really upsets me that South Fulton also did not inform us, not through email or anything, that there would be road closures. 

A few doors down at WnB Factory, cashier Jahnice Johnson noted that management was unaware of the timeline and scale of the closure.

"My boss didn't know it happened. So I don't think everybody really knows that it's going to be closed. I don't think everybody knows it's going to be closed for that long," she said. 

What we don't know:

City officials have not provided an exact reopening date beyond the general target of spring 2027. It also remains unclear whether MARTA transit routes along Fairburn Road will be impacted or rerouted during the closure.

The city has not stated whether any financial relief or targeted assistance will be offered to help local businesses offset lost customer traffic during the project.

Detour options for drivers

What you can do:

Local access to homes and businesses will remain open throughout the closure up to the construction boundaries. Through traffic will be detoured around the work zone.

The city's official detour directs drivers traveling from Fairburn Road to follow Benjamin E. Mays Drive to Lynhurst Drive, then to Cascade Road, before returning to Fairburn Road. Drivers are encouraged to follow posted detour signs and plan for additional travel time.