Fire collapses elevated section of I-85 in Atlanta
Amelia Ford picked a new route to work and said it took 45 minutes to drive three miles from her Atlanta home to the nearest open entrance ramp to the interstate.
Georgia Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said 350 feet of highway needs to be replaced in both directions on I-85, which carries about 400,000 cars daily through the city and is one of the South’s most important north-south routes.
He said repairs will take months but declined to be more specific.
The fire broke out Thursday afternoon in an area used to store state-owned construction materials and equipment, sending flames and smoke high into the air. Fire authorities said they had not determined the cause.
McMurry said his department stored coils of plastic conduit used in fiber optic networks beneath the span but insisted they were noncombustible.
No injuries were reported. Firefighters shut down the section of highway before it gave way, and made it to safety themselves after hearing the road cracking and seeing concrete go flying, authorities said.
In the meantime, MARTA increased rail service and said additional staff would be on hand to help passengers figure out how to get where they’re going.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao released $10 million for initial repairs, and the Federal Highway Administration promised more in emergency funds. Officials gave no estimate of how much the job would cost.
Built in 1953 and renovated in 1985, the span scored high in its most recent inspection, receiving a rating of 94.6 out of 100 in 2015, said a spokeswoman for the Georgia Transportation Department.
Lauren Stewart, director of the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory at Georgia Tech, said intense heat can compromise even steel-reinforced concrete.
“With fires, especially fires that burn for long periods and with high heat, you can see structures, anything from buildings to bridges, can have their material properties degrade,” Stewart said.