News
News

Is GDOT to blame for I-85 bridge burning?

The fire and collapse of an I-85 overpass has Atlantans asking a very pointed question: Who is to blame? JOHN SPINK /JSPINK@AJC.COM
The fire and collapse of an I-85 overpass has Atlantans asking a very pointed question: Who is to blame? JOHN SPINK /JSPINK@AJC.COM
By Craig Schneider, and
April 10, 2017

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?

About the Authors

Craig Schneider

Dan Klepal is editor of the local government team, supervising nine reporters covering county and municipal governments and metro Atlanta. Klepal came to the AJC in 2012, after a long career covering city halls in Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky. He has covered Gwinnett and Cobb counties before spending three years on the investigative team.

Follow Dan Klepal on twitter

David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

Follow David Wickert on facebookFollow David Wickert on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

In April, AMR paid DeKalb a penalty of more than $1.3 million for its substandard performance the previous to years. Now, the county says recent improvements in service mean the company deserves a new five-year contract. (AJC file)

Credit: JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

DeKalb ambulance provider to receive $77 million contract despite struggles

County officials say ambulance provider AMR has made progress on response times and that the new subsidy should help.

VETERANS DAY

Georgia’s Woman Veteran of the Year beat cancer. Now she helps others.

Georgia Woman Veteran of the Year Raquel Durden survived advanced cancer. Now she helps other female military veterans through her Humble Warrior nonprofit.

Pamela Reardon, East Cobb political activist, dead at 71

Pamela Reardon, an East Cobb political activist for GOP candidates and conservative advocacy groups, died Nov. 1 at the age of 71.

The Latest

Unsafe stretches of streets and sidewalks are among the priorities in the Moving Atlanta Forward bond package, which has so far underdelivered.

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

A.M. ATL: Schools and screens

VETERANS DAY

Georgia’s Woman Veteran of the Year beat cancer. Now she helps others.

Pamela Reardon, East Cobb political activist, dead at 71

Featured

The DeKalb school district is suing to recover money spent on cellphone lockers, plus money spent on implementing social media guidelines and hosting associated events, lost teaching time and to hire extra school counselors. (The New York Times file)

Credit: NYT

DeKalb school district reveals $4M social media addiction problem

The district is suing social media companies to get them to pay for addressing students' addiction to apps like Instagram. The companies argue they aren't to blame.

Atlanta airport sees continued cancellations because of shutdown

More than 115 flight cancellations were recorded on a quieter frigid Tuesday morning, far below Saturday's surge of 370.

For Ossoff and Georgia Democrats, the shutdown fight is the message

The fight over the federal government shutdown has allowed Georgia Democrats, like U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, to show that they have the grit to stand up to Republicans.