I-85 Rebuild: GDOT Shares Progress On Reconstruction Project

ATLANTA, GA -- Crews continue to work around the clock to rebuild a portion of Interstate 85 that collapsed late last month in Midtown Atlanta. Marc Mastronardi, Georgia Department of Transportation's director of construction, provided a status update Monday on the project the agency hopes to have completed on or before June 15.

The contractor wrapped up the last cap pour Monday afternoon, and 20 beams were to be installed by midnight on two of the project's six pans.

"These will be set on those spans in the furthest northern location in both directions,” Mastronardi added. “And by Tuesday, when the last cap forms are removed, the entire substructure - which provides support for the beams and the deck - will be complete.”

Caps are placed on top of columns and underneath bridge beams. The bridge deck spans are the individual decks resting on those caps, he explained.

While typical similar projects often use a pair of 150-ton cranes, for efficiency and time savings, an 800-ton crane – one of the largest around – is being used to set all the spans for I-85, GDOT said. The advantage of the larger crane is its reach; it can be set up once and place decks for several spans without having to be relocated.

To date 530 cubic yards of concrete have been poured and 9.5 tons of steel have been placed. The next steps are survey work to finish deck elevations and the deck work itself. Construction will then progress south to set the remaining spans.

“A fair amount of very complex work has been completed and I am excited about the pace of the work,” Mastronardi said. “To ensure safety standards, we have four inspectors per shift onsite. We are working continuously to re-open this critical corridor and continue to ask for motorists to plan ahead, seek alternate commute options, and to be patient when they are behind the wheel. Opening the roadway is our number one priority.”

The federal government has committed to providing $10 million in aid and to easing some federal regulations to expedite the reconstruction.

Of course, motorists should continue to utilize the following resources to map out their commutes across the region:

• GDOT for the most up-to-date maps and information on road closures and alternate routes.
• Georgia 511 or dial 511 for routing information or to speak to an operator who can assist.
• Georgia Commute Options for additional resources and information about available cash incentives for using commute options
• MARTA for bus and train routes and schedules
• XPress Georgia for information on Georgia Regional Transportation Authority express routes

The Atlanta Regional Commission provides alternate route options to commercial vehicles and large trucks to help them get through the region. These types of vehicles are also encouraged to only travel through the metro area during overnight hours and to take advantage of I-285 to bypass the city.

Image via Georgia Department of Transportation