Two major interstates were shut down for more than 90 minutes early Friday when a woman threatened to jump from a bridge on I-20 East in downtown Atlanta, police said.
The incident, which blocked northbound lanes of the Downtown Connector and eastbound lanes of I-20, led to hours-long delays.
Atlanta police received a call about the woman walking on the left side of I-20 near the northbound ramp to the Connector about 4:30 a.m., Atlanta police spokesman Donald Hannah said.
When officers arrived, they saw the woman standing over the Connector, activated emergency lights and blocked the left lane of I-20.
Officers then got out of their patrol vehicles, Hannah said.
“And as they approached the female, she lifted her right leg and straddled the barrier,” he said.
That’s when officers closed the interstates and called negotiators.
The woman didn’t speak initially and only nodded to certain questions, Hannah said.
Negotiators were finally able to talk her down from the barrier after about 45 minutes.
She was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, and both interstates reopened about 6:20 a.m., police said.
At one point in the incident, delays on the Downtown Connector stretched back to Langford Parkway, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Traffic conditions have since improved.
No other details were released.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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Credit: WSB-TV
Credit: WSB-TV
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