I-85 Bridge Collapse: Gwinnett County Reacts, Commutes Shift

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Gwinnett County has, for all basic purposes, gotten a bit farther away from Atlanta. A bridge on Interstate 85 that collapsed into a raging fire Thursday evening has closed the busy highway indefinitely.

That leaves the corridor's Gwinnett County commuters, estimated at to be hundreds of thousands a day, looking for new ways to make it to work every morning.

"Anything that affects I-85 north of the downtown connector affects Gwinnett," Gwinnett County commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said to the Gwinnett Daily Post. "Gwinnett residents should listen for information from State DOT as the situation continues to develop."

What happened?

A bridge on Interstate 85 near Piedmont Road and just north of Ga. 400 collapsed at about 7 p.m. The fire appears to have started in an area beneath the bridge where construction equipment is stored.

The normally busy area had been cleared for firefighters to battle the blaze and no one was killed or injured when the bridge collapsed.

When will it be fixed?

Transportation officials say it's too soon to tell when the north Atlanta patch of interstate will be safe for traffic, though it probably won't be overly soon.

They've already begun plans for repairs of the bridge, but the work will take time.

"The extent of the fire-related damage necessitates extensive reconstruction activities to ensure the safety of motorists," said Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell R. McMurry on Friday. "We began design of the known damaged sections last night and continue designs as information is received.

"At this time, we do not have an anticipated duration for the repairs as we have not been able to fully access the site due to hotspots, but we do know that it is expected to be a time consuming event."

How do I get from Gwinnett to Atlanta now?

On Friday morning, Gwinnett County Transit released its new commuter routes to Atlanta. The changes may offer commuters some ideas on how to get to their jobs if no other options exist.

Specifically, all buses that took Interstate 85 into Atlanta will now operate via I-85 to Interstate 285 to Interstate 20.

Return routes to Gwinnett will run in the opposite direction.

"Travel times for all vehicles, including buses will be unpredictable," Gwinnett Transit said in a Friday post. "Telecommuting is encouraged. Please plan extra time for any trips in and around Metro interstate highways. We appreciate your patience as we continue to adapt to the disruption."

Photo courtesy Georgia Department of Transportation