All southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector were closed for nearly 90 minutes Monday while the Atlanta police bomb squad police investigated a suspicious package.

The package was found along I-75/85 south of Fulton Street around 11:15 a.m. All southbound lanes were closed until about 12:40 p.m.

The Atlanta police bomb squad went to the scene along with fire and EMS crews. The DOT diverted southbound traffic onto I-20.

Southbound interstate traffic through the heart of the city was jammed for more than five miles, to beyond the Brookwood Interchange, at noon.

Atlanta police spokeswoman Sgt. Lisa Keyes said the package “was disposed of by detonation,” but added: “At this time we are not viewing this as an actual explosive.”

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Rose Scott signals as Closer Look goes on air in the WABE studio. An Atlanta resident left WABE a $3 million donation, a boost after WABE lost $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. (Ben Gray / AJC file)

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