U.S. transportation secretary to visit I-85 bridge Thursday

Chao with join Gov. Nathan Deal for a ceremony dedicating the rebuilt stretch of highway near Piedmont Road, which reopened last weekend just six weeks after a fire caused the bridge to collapse March 30.

Construction of the project is expected to cost up to $16.6 million, with the U.S. Department of Transportation picking up 90 percent of the cost. In addition, Georgia is asking the federal government to pay other associated costs, including extra transit service and traffic control needed during the highways' closure.