Photos of Atlanta traffic disasters of the past

Metro Atlanta

Photos: Atlanta traffic disasters of the past

The terrible fire and highway collapse of March 30, 2017, is far from the first time a disaster, whether natural or man-made, has brought Atlanta’s traffic

Atlanta, Ga. - May 30, 1970 - Eight persons died and 31 others were injured when a twin-engine private plane crashed on a bridge over I-285 at Atlanta, Ga. today. Line charts the plane's path as it hit car, bounced, and skidded into ramp of Moreland Ave. bridge. Victim's car is visible above cross at right, craft's tail section an engine and a wing are near point of impact

Atlanta, Ga. - May 30, 1970 - Eight persons died and 31 others were injured when a twin-engine private plane crashed on the Moreland Avenue bridge over I-285 at Atlanta, Ga. today near Forest Park. The plane carried passengers on a free excursion trip to Florida to look at real estate.

January 28, 2014 Atlanta: Traffic sits at a standstill with several spun-out trucks blocking much of the Connector Southbound just South of Downtown Atlanta on Tuesday night January 28, 2014. BEN GRAY / BGRAY@AJC.COM

May 8, 2015 DeKalb County : Four people died aboard a small plane Friday, May 8, 2015 after it crashed Friday morning on I-285 at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Traffic was shut down in both directions. Three men and one woman were killed in the crash, according to Channel 2 Action News. The National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will determine probable cause. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

May 8, 2015 DeKalb County : Four people died aboard a small plane Friday, May 8, 2015 after it crashed Friday morning on I-285 at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Traffic was shut down in both directions. Three men and one woman were killed in the crash, according to Channel 2 Action News. The National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will determine probable cause. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

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Jan. 24, 2014 Atlanta: Traffic was grid locked on the connector Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 28, 2014 as many employers let their employees off all at the same time. The winter storm that paralyzed metro Atlanta and other parts of Georgia prompted Gov. Nathan Deal to declare a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon, Jan.28, 2014 for all 159 counties. In a matter of hours, snow blanketed the area. But any hopes of a winter wonderland were dashed by a more miserable reality. Take rush-hour traffic in Atlanta, add inches of slushy, slick mess and the result is gridlock on interstates in all directions. For hours, roads and interstates have remained jammed stranding some drivers, and there were too many wrecks to count Tuesday afternoon as a winter storm continued to dump snow across metro Atlanta. Many school systems dismissed early, sending some parents scrambling home. Others seemed to hit the roads, too. But it was anything but a typical commute, even by Atlanta standards. Drivers reported commutes of more than three hours. Some school buses couldnât run routes and were forced to return to schools. And teachers and students were faced Tuesday afternoon with the real possibility of spending the night in the classroom. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

110628 Atlanta : A bridge partially collapsed in northwest Atlanta after being hit by a truck Tuesday, June 28, 2011. Two people were injured and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. he bridge is a CSX railroad trestle over Bolton Road, near Marietta Road. The truck hit the bridge, causing a 20-foot piece of concrete to fall onto the truck, said Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones. One person was trapped in the truck and was extricated shortly after 10 a.m.; he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with moderate injuries to his lower extremities, possibly broken bones, said Atlanta Fire Capt. Jolyon Bundridge. He is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. A woman in a car behind the truck was also transported to Grady with minor injuries, Bundridge said. All railroad traffic on the track has been halted. Bolton Road is closed in both directions. The bridge belongs to the city of Atlanta, which is responsible for repairs, said Jill Goldberg of the state Department of Transportation. The bridge is inspected by the state, she said. DOT is checking to determine when the bridge was last inspected. Bundridge said the truck is about 30 feet long with a hydraulic lift on the back. He said investigators are trying to determine if part of the truck hit the overhead structure of the bridge, which has a clearance of 13 feet, 5 inches. John Spink, jspink@ajc.com

September 25, 2015 Atlanta, GA: Two trucks fell from I-285 onto GA 400 Friday. A Publix truck carrying a load of candy bars and M&M's overturned on GA 400 Northbound. A second truck, turned over on the embankment from 285 to GA 400. The second truck contained 8,000 gallons of fuel, but the fuel was contained with no spill. Both drivers suffered non-life threatening injuriesBRANT SANDERLIN/BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

September 25, 2015 Sandy Spring - Authorities investigate at the scene where two tractor-trailers plunged off I-285 onto Ga. 400 on Friday, September 25, 2015. Two tractor-trailers plunged off I-285 onto Ga. 400, shutting down the busiest interchange in the state during the Friday afternoon lunch hour and sending three people to the hospital. All northbound lanes of Ga. 400 and some eastbound lanes of I-285 remained closed just before 2 p.m., and the Sandy Springs Police Department predicted the road closures would last through rush hour. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

000915-09/15/00-JOHN SPINK/staff-ATLANTA/FULTON COUNTY- A tractor trailer traversed across several lanes striking a median wall, flipping over and catching fire south of Lakewood Freeway and just north of Camp Creek Parkway on southbound I-285. The driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The accident which happend just after 6 AM stood traffic still on the southbound lanes until 2 lanes were opened up sometime around 9AM. Here brick mason, Gerardo Ferreira didn't make it to work on time getting stuck just after the accident happend. The driver drove for R.L. Carriers.

000915-09/15/00-JOHN SPINK/staff-ATLANTA/FULTON COUNTY- A tractor trailer traversed across several lanes striking a median wall, flipping over and catching fire south of Lakewood Freeway and just north of Camp Creek Parkway on southbound I-285. The driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The accident which happend just after 6 AM stood traffic still on the southbound lanes until 2 lanes were opened up sometime around 9AM. Here wrecker drivers from Jennings Towing and recovery try to place the burned truck into postion for towing. The driver drove for R.L. Carriers.

010609 ATLANTA, GA: A fiery crash happened on the bridge of I-285 and GA 400 around 2:00 AM Saturday morning, June 9, 2001. Crews begin clean-up and repairs on I-285 (looking west) at the site where a tanker leaked and caught fire after an accident. (Special photo by Andy Kjellgren)

010610 FULTON COUNTY: The skeleton of steel support beams over a hole looking down on GA 400 is visible as construction crews spent Sunday 6/10/01 dismantling the overpass bridge of I-285 Eastbound lanes to repair structural damage that resulted from a firey gasoline tanker wreck during the weekend. The extreme heat from the tanker fire structurally compromised the integrity of the overpass, and ti will take about six weeks to rebuiild the overpass lanes that were damaged. This is shot looking WEST on I-285. The bridge in backround is part of GA 400 interchange.(KImberly Smith/staff)

January 28, 2014 Atlanta: Traffic inches along the Connector as snow blankets the Metro on Tuesday afternoon January 28, 2014 as seen from the Pryor Street overpass. BEN GRAY / BGRAY@AJC.COM

Jan. 24, 2014 Atlanta: Nortbound connector traffic - frozen. The winter storm that paralyzed metro Atlanta and other parts of Georgia prompted Gov. Nathan Deal to declare a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon, Jan.28, 2014 for all 159 counties. In a matter of hours, snow blanketed the area. But any hopes of a winter wonderland were dashed by a more miserable reality. Take rush-hour traffic in Atlanta, add inches of slushy, slick mess and the result is gridlock on interstates in all directions. For hours, roads and interstates have remained jammed stranding some drivers, and there were too many wrecks to count Tuesday afternoon as a winter storm continued to dump snow across metro Atlanta. Many school systems dismissed early, sending some parents scrambling home. Others seemed to hit the roads, too. But it was anything but a typical commute, even by Atlanta standards. Drivers reported commutes of more than three hours. Some school buses couldn't run routes and were forced to return to schools. And teachers and students were faced Tuesday afternoon with the real possibility of spending the night in the classroom. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

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Atlanta, Ga. - May 30, 1970 - Eight persons died and 31 others were injured when a twin-engine private plane crashed on a bridge over I-285 at Atlanta, Ga. today. Line charts the plane's path as it hit car, bounced, and skidded into ramp of Moreland Ave. bridge. Victim's car is visible above cross at right, craft's tail section an engine and a wing are near point of impact

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