On March 30, 2017, Atlanta watched live as a fire under I-85 near Piedmont Road caused a large portion of the bridge to collapse. It created one of the city's worst traffic situations and exposed the vulnerability of a congested city.
As reconstruction began on 350 feet of lanes in both directions, commuters negotiated alternate routes to get to work, including jumping on a MARTA train for the first time. Drivers were prepared to be inconvenienced until mid-June, but northbound lanes opened May 12 — a full month ahead of schedule — and southbound lanes opened the next day.
The construction-related costs included $11.9 million to build the new bridge, $1.6 million for demolition of the old one and up to $3.1 million in incentives for contractor C.W. Matthews to complete the work before June 15, The AJC's David Wickert reported last year.
On the anniversary of the bridge collapse, the AJC takes a look at not only what happened, but also how the Georgia DOT seeks to keep it from happening again.