Pike Street was closed around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday due to an unstable sign at Empire Buffet. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

High winds sweeping through the area this afternoon caused significant concern on Pike Street Tuesday after a large sign outside the Empire Buffet restaurant became dangerously unstable.

City crews responded quickly, shutting down Pike Street in both directions, between Acme Street and Wayne Street, after the towering sign began swaying in the gusts. The closure began at approximately 2:45 p.m.

It was initially deemed unstable enough that it needed to be completely removed, Mayor Josh Schlicher said. But the plan changed after a crane crew better assessed the situation, he said.

According to Schlicher, the structure is a three-piece pole and crews worked on repairing it at the scene.

“The crane crew was mobilized around 4:30 p.m. and worked up until I left a few hours after,” he said. “They’re going to be working on stabilizing and repairing the sign instead of completely tearing it down.”

The Empire Buffet restaurant sign became unstable potentially as a result of continuous high winds throughout the day Tuesday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

While the wind calmed slightly, safety remained a top concern. Drivers were advised to avoid the area until the road fully reopens.

The National Weather Service released a special weather statement for Marietta on Tuesday warning of potential wind gusts of up to 34 mph.

There were no severe weather warnings aside from that statement.

A crane was used to stabilize the Empire Buffet sign before the crew closely assessed what needed to be done. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a crane crew worked to repair the Empire Buffet sign during wind gusts of up to 34 mph. (Photo by Amber Phipps)