Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

After bridge fire and I-85 collapse, Alabama offers guidance

March 30, 2017 Atlanta - Crew surveys the section of an overpass that collapsed from a fire on I-85 on Thursday, March 30, 2017. Fire officials extinguished a massive fire on I-85 on Thursday night after it burned for more than an hour and led to the collapse of a bridge on the interstate, fire officials said. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

Credit: Hyosub Shin

Credit: Hyosub Shin

March 30, 2017 Atlanta - Crew surveys the section of an overpass that collapsed from a fire on I-85 on Thursday, March 30, 2017. Fire officials extinguished a massive fire on I-85 on Thursday night after it burned for more than an hour and led to the collapse of a bridge on the interstate, fire officials said. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
By Arielle Kass
March 31, 2017

The Alabama Department of Transportation knows what Georgia is going through. And they want to help.

Tony Harris, a spokesman for the Alabama agency, said his department called Georgia this morning to offer a hand as the state works to assess and repair a portion of I-85 that collapsed after a Thursday fire.

In 2004, Alabama repaired a bridge at a busy Birmingham interchange after a tanker truck crashed into it and it came down. They had repaired a bridge at the same location, where I-20 and I-59 cross over I-65, two years earlier after a similar incident.

“This morning, we’ve relayed word to the Georgia Department of Transportation to offer assistance,” Harris said. “We left phone messages to them.”

In both instances, Alabama repaired its bridges in just over a month.

About the Author

Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.

More Stories

Keep Reading

Running back Jamal Anderson, seen playing for the Falcons in 1996, was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles. (AJC file)

Ex-Falcons star Jamal Anderson arrested after domestic incident, police say

Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles after he was reportedly involved in a domestic situation that turned physical.

Crews battle 2 apartment complex fires across Atlanta

A large fire displaced several people in southwest Atlanta, one of two blazes city fire crews battled early Thursday.

1 dead, 2 injured after fight leads to shooting in Carrollton, police say

Police say the shooting early Sunday morning near 6th Street ends in the death of a 26-year-old woman, who died at the scene, and the hospitalization of two others.

The Latest

Running back Jamal Anderson, seen playing for the Falcons in 1996, was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles. (AJC file)

Ex-Falcons star Jamal Anderson arrested after domestic incident, police say

Crews battle 2 apartment complex fires across Atlanta

1 dead, 2 injured after fight leads to shooting in Carrollton, police say

Featured

Travelers walk around the baggage claim in the South Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Atlanta is among the airports where the FAA will reduce flights due to the shutdown, and airports are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Atlanta among airports where FAA will cut flights due to shutdown

The U.S. Department of Transportation will cut flights by 10% across 40 of the nation’s busiest airports on Friday to alleviate pressure on air traffic controllers.

Metro Atlanta’s water smells, tastes weird again. Blame fall and Lake Lanier.

It’s safe to drink, but a seasonal change in Lake Lanier each fall means most of the metro’s water tastes like dirt and mold.

15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend

Our list of 15 family-friendly doings in metro Atlanta for Nov. 7-9 includes Veterans Day events.