Atlanta’s I-85 open after bridge collapse

ATLANTA — All lanes of a heavily used interstate in Atlanta have been reopened about six weeks after a highway bridge collapsed because of a fire.

Local news reports said Sunday that southbound lanes on Interstate 85 were reopened Saturday evening, one day after drivers began using lanes heading north. The roadway had been shut down since March 30 when a blaze beneath the bridge burned so hot that it caused the overpass to collapse.

The collapsed bridge forced Atlanta commuters onto congested alternate routes or transit systems. Officials urged employers to allow employees to telecommute or change their schedules as construction crews worked round-the-clock shifts.

Officials offered a multimillion-dollar incentive to the project contractor C.W. Matthews to finish weeks ahead of schedule.