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

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?