I-85 Collapse: GDOT Announces Reopening Date

ATLANTA, GA -- Motorists traveling in and around Atlanta should be able to resume their everyday use of Interstate 85 in Midtown Atlanta by mid-June.

That's according to the Georgia Department of Transportation, which said it hopes to reopen the stretch of the interstate that's closed just north of Piedmont Road by June 15.

Georgia DOT officials made the announcement during a press briefing Tuesday morning.

Commissioner Russell McMurry said the state has been able to fast-track the reconstruction process by working closely federal officials to address the required steps set forth by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“We know that streamlining this is everyone's top priority," he added.

Mark Mastronardi, director of construction with GDOT, noted Governor Nathan Deal's declaration of an emergency also allowed the state to begin working with officials from the federal government on getting the reconstruction plans set in stone.

Mastronardi added residents will begin to see beams arriving at the site by mid-April in preparation for the rebuild. He also noted demolition of the existing, damaged structure is about 85 percent complete and that process could wrap up by Wednesday.

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Georgia DOT has selected Marietta-based C.W. Mathews Contracting Company to lead the rebuilding effort. The company was chosen based on its availability, resources and experience providing a similar response to a tanker fire that damaged I-285 over S.R. 400 in 2001, the agency added.

McMurry also used Tuesday to address the agency's storage of the materials underneath the Midtown Atlanta bridge.

The material, high-density polyetheline (HDPE) and fiberglass conduit, was part of GDOT's plans to install advanced traffic management systems such as cameras, ramp meters and message boards along S.R. 400 between Interstate 85 and I-285. The project was put out to bid in July 2007 and was awarded to a Smyrna-based company.

However, McMurry said the company was found to be in default and worked stopped in April 2008. GDOT already paid for the material it planned to use for the project, so it took possession of those items when work ceased.

It stored the items on Sidney Marcus Boulevard at Buford Highway in December 2009, but relocated the materials to the Piedmont Road location in 2011 to use for a ramp project along GA-400. The material was stored on state property with the hopes to using it for another project in the future, he stated.

GDOT's commissioner said the agency has been fully cooperative with state and local investigators, and it cannot comment on certain details surrounding the case.

However, the Piedmont Road site was enclosed in a locked fence and gates, and signs were placed warning against trespassers. However, that area was "breached by individuals who allegedly trespassed on state property with the devastating outcome we are now dealing with," McMurry added.

He noted the agency was told the fire was deliberately set and spread to the rolls of the HDPE conduit.

In light of the alleged breach and fire, GDOT has requested the state's Insurance and Fire Safety commissioner and Georgia fire marshal to conduct a statewide review of storage practices and policies, particularly under and around bridges and other infrastructure, McMurry states.

It will also take part in the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the case.

The bridge, originally constructed in 1984, was last inspected in 2015 and determined to be in good condition, said GDOT Chief Engineer Meg Pirkle.

The fire and collapse not only took out the entire northbound side of the interstate, but heavily damaged the southbound lanes of the highway. As a result, crews have determined it will need to replace about 350 feet of concrete on both the northbound and southbound side of the interstate.

Three people were arrested and charged in connection to the fire. One suspect, Basil Eleby, was charged with arson and criminal damage to property in the first degree. Sophia Brauer and Barry Thomas, were each charged with criminal trespassing.

GDOT has since partially reopened one northbound and three southbound lanes of Piedmont Road under I-85 for drivers to utilize.

All I-85 northbound traffic is being diverted to S.R. 13/Buford Spring Connector. This traffic will be able to take the connector to the point where it connects back to I-85 northbound.

"This is mainly for local traffic only," GDOT previously said on its 511 Georgia Facebook page. "Long distance travelers should still continue to use I-285 around the city."

For those traveling southbound, your travels will still be cut off at the S.R. 400 northbound ramp. You cannot use the Buford Spring Connector southbound from I-85, the agency added. However, it expects to open a single lane for traffic by Thursday morning. The HOV ramp from Lindbergh Drive to I-85 northbound is also open to all traffic. Police are not enforcing occupancy requirements for the ramp.

Please note that once you merge onto I-85 northbound, any non-HOV vehicles should move into regular lanes of travel.

Of course, state leaders continue to encourage residents to utilize public transit options.

Image via GDOT