Atlanta commuters hit road after bridge collapse

ATLANTA - Atlanta faced a tough test Monday as commuters returned to the roads for the first full week in the aftermath of the Interstate 85 bridge collapse.

Crews worked around the clock over the weekend to reconfigure several northbound Interstate 85 lanes to handle weekday rush-hour traffic.

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it is following “an aggressive schedule” to replace the bridge, while other work is being done to alleviate traffic along surface streets.

On Thursday, a massive fire underneath the interstate erupted, causing the northbound bridge to collapse.

There were no deaths or injuries in the explosion and fire, but the bridge collapse severed the vital roadway that runs north-south through downtown Atlanta. The interstate carries 250,000 vehicles daily, Georgia transportation commissioner Russell McMurry said.

Traffic appeared lighter than usual Monday, even as a portion of Interstate 85 remained closed and commuters were redirected to take alternate routes to bypass the wrecked area.

Fewer cars were on the road than on a typical Monday because all metro Atlanta public schools are out for spring break this week.

One commuter said he left his home north of the city a bit earlier than usual, about 7 a.m., to drive into the downtown area. He said he didn’t experience any major traffic heading south but saw more traffic going north.

“This is going to help in the long run,” said Randy Kessler, a divorce lawyer. “It reminds me of the (1996) Olympics when people were terrified about driving downtown, but it was the lightest traffic ever. It made people carpool more. I think Atlanta needed a little kick in the butt. We needed something to change our habits to make us rethink our daily commute.”

On Friday, three people were arrested in connection with the fire and collapse. Basil Eleby, 39, a homeless man, was charged with first-degree arson and criminal damage to property. Two other people, Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas, were charged with criminal trespass.

“Demolition work has begun and will continue through early next week,” Georgia transportation officials said. “Once demolition is completed, a more exact timeline for expected completion can be estimated.”

Transportation officials had said it could take months to rebuild a portion of the bridge.

The northbound lanes of I-85 beginning near the Peachtree Road overpass were reconfigured to allow for two travel lanes to continue northbound up to the Buford-Spring Connector for local traffic only.

At that point, all local traffic is being routed to the Buford-Spring Connector, where vehicles travel through and return to I-85 north near Sidney Marcus Boulevard.

“This reconfiguration work includes the placement of concrete barrier as well as re-striping of the lanes,” the Department of Transportation said. “Vehicles passing through metro Atlanta should still plan to utilize I-285 as the most efficient route of travel.”

Contributing: Melanie Eversley, Doug Stanglin and Sean Rossman, USA TODAY; Associated Press