Witnesses say troopers were telling cars to turn around on the bridge and minutes later, it collapsed
The 2-alarm fire burned Thursday afternoon on I-85 near Georgia 400 in Atlanta, CBS affiliate WGCL reports. After the fire burned for about 45 minutes, part of the roadway collapsed.
Witnesses say troopers were telling drivers to turn around on the bridge because they were concerned about its integrity. Minutes later, the bridge collapsed.
Atlanta police said the fire is burning piles of plastic wiring under the I-85 overpass near the Lindbergh MARTA station.
*Emergency* Interstate 85 in Atlanta GA has just collapsed due to fire under bridge. All lanes blocked. Avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/5Pa5yJN9YI
Traffic was backed up for miles in the area and witnesses said they saw people abandoning their vehicles on the roadway and opting to walk.
Governor Nathan Deal said officials have called in the company that originally built the bridge to assess the damage. It wasn’t immediately clear how long it would take to repair the damage.
Officials confirmed to WGCL that no one was injured in the fire.
Black smoke can be seen for miles.
