I-85 lanes closed indefinitely in Atlanta, causing major traffic disruptions

user-gravatar Headshot
Updated Apr 2, 2017
i85-collapse-atlanta-2017-03-31-07-52

An overpass on Interstate 85 in northeast Atlanta collapsed Thursday evening following a massive fire that broke out underneath the bridge.

All lanes of I-85 north and south are closed indefinitely from the downtown connector to Georgia Highway 400. While most trucks are required to use I-285 to go around the city, the closure of one of the main thoroughfares out of Atlanta will cause backups on other routes, according to Georgia 511.

A report from Atlanta news station WSB-TV says traffic heading into the city from I-85 south will be detoured onto I-285, and the Georgia DOT is encouraging people to use I-75 and I-20 to get into the downtown and midtown areas.

Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry said in an update Friday morning that both directions of the interstate will have to be fully replaced at the site of the collapse. McMurry added that the DOT does not yet have a timeframe for the repairs to be made, but said he expects it to be “a time consuming event.”

The area that caught fire was part of the state’s right of way under the bridge, according to McMurry, and was used to store construction materials, equipment and supplies such as PVC piping.

The cause of the fire is unknown, and no injuries were reported from the collapse. The FBI has said criminal activity was not the cause of the fire, according to WSB-TV.

The Business Manual for Owner-Operators
Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2022 edition of Partners in Business.
Download
Partners in Business Issue Cover