I-85 collapse a nightmare for Atlanta
ATLANTA Atlanta-area residents will have to get used to the absence of one of the city’s main traffic arteries. Officials said Friday that it will take “at least several months” to rebuild a portion of a bridge that collapsed in a fire Thursday on Interstate 85.
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said hundreds of feet of both the north and southbound parts of the bridge will need to be replaced. Demolition has started and will continue into Monday. The planning for a replacement bridge is already underway.
“The big question on everyone’s mind is how long will this take to repair?” McMurry asked. “We’re not able to give you a firm estimate at this moment, but you should know that this will (require) at least several months to get this rebuilt.”
McMurry said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao authorized $10 million for the new bridge.
McMurry said authorities still do not know the cause of the fire that erupted Thursday evening and led to the northbound bridge’s collapse. The area where the fire originated, he said, was used to store highdensity plastic conduit used for cabling and fiber optics. He said the material isn’t combustible.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency and hinted the road ahead could be long. The highway carries 250,000 cars a day.
Meanwhile, residents might have to rely on mass transit. Officials urged commuters to consider using the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority to get around.
The interstate is a major artery for the U.S. South and a thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. The bridge collapse effectively “puts a cork in the bottle,” said Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough.
The fire erupted about 6:30 p.m., and the northbound lanes collapsed about 7 p.m. Despite the destruction of the roadway, no injuries were reported, said Sgt. Cortez Stafford with Atlanta Fire Rescue.
Mayor Kasim Reed said “there is no evidence that this is related to terrorism.”