The fiasco that was the I-85 bridge collapse has Atlantans asking a pointed question: Who is to blame?

Police have charged a homeless man, Basil Eleby, with setting the fire, which spread to several tons of plastic piping that had been stored under the bridge by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Should GDOT share some of the responsibility? Some people are criticizing the agency for storing burnable materials in a place known to attract homeless people.

GDOT officials said the materials were secure and that it’s common practice around the country to store materials under highway bridges.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found those explanations lacking. Read the full story: Atlanta bridge collapse: Who is to blame?

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Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor and AJC Publisher Andrew Morse were joined by AJC editors and Atlanta business react during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Midtown on Friday, January 24, 2025.
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Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

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