HOW A FIRE STOPPED ATLANTA.
1 WHAT HAPPENED?
A massive fire caused an overpass on Interstate 85 to collapse during rush hour Thursday in Atlanta, just minutes after police halted traffic and turned cars away from the crumbling bridge. The heavily travelled route runs through the heart of the city. Bobby Barnhart, who works for a financial technology company near the highway, said he and his colleagues watched the collapse from about 60 metres away. He said he heard several explosions, followed by a slow rumbling. The bridge was built in 1953 and reconstructed in 1985 to accommodate higher traffic volumes.
2 WHAT STARTED THE FIRE?
The blaze broke out Thursday afternoon in an area used to store state-owned construction materials and equipment, sending flames and smoke high into the air. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said PVC plastic materials in a vehicle may have caught fire. Authorities were still trying to determine the exact cause on Friday.
3 HOW MANY WERE INJURED?
Despite towering flames and thick black smoke, no one was hurt.
4 WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
“This is about as serious a transportation crisis as we can imagine,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said. I-85 carries 250,000 cars a day through the city and is one of southern United States’ most important north-south routes. Many commuters in some of Atlanta’s northern suburbs will probably have to find new routes or ride mass transit for months.
5 WHEN WILL IT BE REPLACED?
Officials said at least 106 metres of the overpass have to be replaced, a job that could take months. The governor said federal highway officials are providing $10 million in emergency funding that will let crews immediately assess the damage and begin repairs. But he warned it will be a long process.