Deal: No injuries reported in I-85 bridge collapse

Gov. Nathan Deal said no injuries have been reported in a bridge on I-85 northbound just south of Ga. 400 that collapsed after a massive blaze, and said state transportation officials are working to determine the cause of the fire.

He said Georgia Department of Transportation inspectors are on the scene and that the construction crew that built the bridge has been contacted to look at the schematics and determine how long it will take to repair it.

He said the cause of the fire is not yet known but “the speculation I’ve heard is that there are some PVC products that caught fire.”

“I do not know why they did or what the source of their transport was,” he added. “Those are questions that will hopefully be answered by tomorrow.”

He commended firefighters, first-responders and law enforcement “because to my knowledge we haven’t had any injuries as a result of this fire on the bridge.”

But he urged motorists to steer clear of the area because “it’s going to take some time to get it repaired and back to service.”