Following concerns made by business owners in Southwest Atlanta, the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) has implemented an around-the-clock construction schedule on Cascade Road this week to expedite the road’s reopening.
From Aug. 11 to 16, crews will be performing milling, repaving, and temporary striping on Cascade Road between Willis Mill Road SW and Kingsdale Drive SW. With the expedited work, ATLDOT announced on August 21 that the road will be reopened on August 30.
“This project was designed to slow traffic down, to make this corridor more livable, safer,” Solomon Caviness, Commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation, told Atlanta News First. “We have ten-foot trail on the south side of the roadway, a five-foot sidewalk on the north side of the roadway. We just want make Cascade Road feel like it’s the soul and the heart of the future of Atlanta.”
The Cascade Road Complete Street project was meant to revitalize the historically Black neighborhood by resurfacing roads, extending bike lanes, and enhancing bus stops. However, business owners in the area say the subsequent road closure, which has sustained since February 2024, has resulted in significant economic disruption for the community.
During the public comment at Aug. 4’s Atlanta City Council meeting, Cascade business owners described drops in sales and foot traffic, with customers now struggling to access their establishments.
Owners of restaurants like J.R. Crickets, MoreLyfe Juice, Café Bartique, Oreatha’s at the Point, and Natalie Bianca told the council that along with a clear timeline of when construction would be complete, they needed similar recovery support to what Buckhead and Midtown businesses received during last year’s water main breaks.
The Cascade entrepreneurs said they were offered 50 percent forgivable loans but no recovery grants to subsidize the losses they’ve experience over the last year.
Related stories:
• Cascade Road business owners seek support amid ongoing construction, road closure
• Civil engineering firm FlatironDragados to open headquarters at Perimeter Summit