Bridges not safe for Johns Creek fire trucks

Four bridges in Johns Creek are not certified to convey city fire trucks, so Fire Chief Joseph Daniels told the city two weeks ago he would no longer send his fire trucks over bridges that were not built to hold such loads.

The four city bridges don't have the capacity to take the tonnage of the fire trucks, a problem that has gone neglected since Johns Creek's Fulton County days.

Daniels voiced his concern about a fire truck crossing a bridge and having it collapse. City officials say the likelihood of such a catastrophe is not great, but they are going to accept that it is still an unacceptable risk for the firefighters. That means fire response to those areas served by those bridges will be delayed, and fire is the kind of emergency where minutes numbered in single digits are crucial.

– one on Bell Road, one on Parsons Road and two on Old Alabama Road – will not be used by some JCFD vehicles. These bridges can take 10 tons to 18 tons. But the Fire Department's two ladder trucks – which mount water cannons that shoot down into fires – are 40-ton vehicles. And only the Bell Road bridge can take the regular 17.6-ton engines.

Mayor Mike Bodker said the bridges have been used for years by the Fulton County Fire Department carrying as heavy or heavier engines with no problems. Now the city is looking at temporary measures to bring the bridges up strength until the bridges can be replaced.

"The fire chief and staff at Public Works are meeting this week to discuss ways to shore up and repair the bridges to support the fire equipment. Some of the measures we think we can effect pretty quickly," said Bodker.

The bridges are not eligible for federal stimulus money although they are in the Atlanta Regional Commission's Transportation Improvement Plan because they are not "shovel ready" within the next 120 days.

A possible bond referendum is at least a year away, according to Bodker.

"These bridges have been on the books for upgrades since before Johns Creek was a city. Why they got no farther, I can't say, I wasn't here then," Bodker said. "Since the city came into being, it has been a priority [at ARC]."

Meanwhile, the city can only do what it can afford to do. In the next budget, the bridges will be a priority for the city, but it takes time, he said.

The bottom line for Johns Creek residents is there is no quick-fix plan to repair these bridges, although City Administrator John Kachmar did say the city is looking into ways to shore them up temporarily so that they could be used in an emergency.

The city is also investigating if any state money is available, but in this year of a $2 billion state shortfall in revenue, no one is holding his or her breath.

"Johns Creek is doing the right thing in that we are not just protecting our citizens threatened by fire, but we are protecting our firefighters as well by not sending them in harm's way when these bridges pose a risk," Bodker said. "I think Johns Creek will also do the right thing, and that is get these bridges repaired and able to serve our fire equipment."

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