A fence was installed under the new section of I-85, which was rebuilt after the fire March 30. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

Fence built around I-85 bridge collapse site to prevent trespassing 

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Those who make their usual commute under the site of the I-85 bridge collapse in March likely noticed a new chain-link fence Friday where flammable materials once lived. 

The $20,000 project is intended to prevent people from trespassing on the state’s property, potentially averting another massive interstate fire like the one that paralyzed the city for seven weeks.

“It should have been done that way from the beginning,” resident Keytorious Holliday told Channel 2 Action News reported. “We could’ve avoided all of that.” 


The March 30 collapse left metro Atlantans without one of their main transportation arteries.

High-density polyethylene pipes, generally used in the transportation industry for cabling and fiber optic wire networks, went up in flames that day.

They had been stored there for as long as 11 years. Officials said storing materials under bridges isn’t uncommon. 

Authorities arrested Basil Eleby less than 24 hours later and charged him with arson after two homeless people claimed he set a chair on fire.

Eleby, who is also homeless, has since pleaded not guilty to the accusations and his lawyers have said he’s a scapegoat for larger issues. 

In other news:


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