Three people are in custody after a fire that caused a bridge to collapse on I-85, according to the state fire marshal's office.
Georgia’s Department of Transportation is working to determine the extent of the damage caused by a massive fire near the Buford-Spring Street Connector.
GDOT began its assessment of the damage Thursday before the fire was even extinguished, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurray said Friday.
Channel 2’s Aaron Diamant got an exclusive tour of the damage Friday with the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
Demolition crews are already working to remove tons of crushed concrete and look for clues as to how coils of non-combustible high-density plastic pipe, which GDOT stored underneath the bridge, caught fire.
“So the storage area under the bridge was storing normal highway construction materials. The PVC material has been there for some time, probably since 2006 or 7,” McMurry said.
The massive blaze started at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday beneath I-85 northbound near Piedmont Road.
Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-85, as well as several roads in northeast Atlanta, were closed for hours Thursday and into Friday. Interstate 85 will remain closed as crews rebuild the bridge on both sides.
Cox Media Group
