I-85 bridge near Piedmont Rd Collapses. (Atlanta, Buford: public transportation, cars, electricity)

[AUGnative]

Heads need to roll at GDOT over this. It is inexcusable to be storing highly flammable hazardous materials under one of the busiest sections of freeway in the country. Inexcusable.

[BELMO45]

They are now letting 85 north traffic go all the way to Buford highway before getting off. Did not think they'd ever allow that as its only 1/4 mile if that south of where the collapse was

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by BELMO45

They are now letting 85 north traffic go all the way to Buford highway before getting off. Did not think they'd ever allow that as its only 1/4 mile if that south of where the collapse was

??? Isn't that exit north of the collapse?

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

??? Isn't that exit north of the collapse?

No, it's about a mile south of the collapse.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

Heads need to roll at GDOT over this. It is inexcusable to be storing highly flammable hazardous materials under one of the busiest sections of freeway in the country. Inexcusable.

The material was not highly flammable. It was set on fire by bums. Most things burn when you set them on fire unless they have special fire retardant properties. Maybe we shouldn't store anything under bridges but the material that was stored was not overly hazardous. The idiots who started the fire are responsible, not GDOT.

[AUGnative]

Did you see the fire? Obviously the bums are responsible for setting the fire. But just normal everyday materials would not have created such a huge fire like this. Had there not been flammables stored under this bridge by Gdot then the worst you would have had would be a burning chair that could be put out by a hose. Charge the bum with arson but to say Gdot was not irresponsible for storing these kind of flammables under a busy highway seems to be way off the Mark. Anything this flammable to cause an entire bridge to collapse should not be stored under Bridges where a bum or a kid with matches can easily enter and start a fire so large it shuts down a major thoroughfare

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by BELMO45

They are now letting 85 north traffic go all the way to Buford highway before getting off. Did not think they'd ever allow that as its only 1/4 mile if that south of where the collapse was

The exit from I-85 to Buford Connector is not on the elevated structure, it is completely ground level.
https://goo.gl/maps/xDPG8xybbXS2

Originally Posted by atltechdude

The material was not highly flammable. It was set on fire by bums. Most things burn when you set them on fire unless they have special fire retardant properties. Maybe we shouldn't store anything under bridges but the material that was stored was not overly hazardous. The idiots who started the fire are responsible, not GDOT.

Yeah, things catch on fire and they burn... but please ignite some cardboard underneith an overpass and tell me if it takes down a concrete/steel reinforced bridge... Most things dont burn down concrete reinforced bridges when they ignite and the city even admitted that the material is flammable. This WAS a BIG F-UP by whomever approved to store those chemicals down there...even if it wasn't a homeless man, a bolt of lightning could have just as easily have started the fire.. ..please send the lightning to prison afterward.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Yeah, things catch on fire and they burn... but please ignite some cardboard underneith an overpass and tell me if it takes down a concrete/steel reinforced bridge... Most things dont burn down concrete reinforced bridges when they ignite and the city even admitted that the material is flammable. This WAS a BIG F-UP by whomever approved to store those chemicals down there...even if it wasn't a homeless man, a bolt of lightning could have just as easily have started the fire.. ..please send the lightning to prison afterward.

No a bolt of lightning would not have started the fire. PVC piping has to be exposed to sustained heat above 1000 deg to burn. i.e. it had to be set on fire by something already burning. As I said yes it might be the case that nothing should have been stored, but the people who stored the material were not responsible. The people who started the fire will be the ones held responsible and that is how it should be.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

It's literally a half mile stretch at the very end of 400 that's closed. Yea south of Buckhead was red yesterday afternoon but there's still all of 400 north of Buckhead and north of 285 that looked great which was my point. If you didn't work any farther south than Buckhead and dealt with just 400. Your commute was fine.

This was taken as of 8:12 AM on Friday by member jsvh - If you notice, GA 400 Southbound (inbound traffic) just north of I-285 is NOT green... Inner GA 400 is only green because the only people who can use it are those going to and from Buckhead, people going to Atlanta were diverted to I-75 via the Amber Alert signs that promptly warned them not to continue into the perimeter if they were going downtown... and if you notice - I-285 westbound between GA-400 and I-75 is abnormally very red..normally that section during morning commutes is green as its going AWAY from Perimeter Mall area.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Inner GA 400 is only green because the only people who can use it are those going to and from Buckhead

The GA 400S to 85 North ramp is still open, so it's not just people going to Buckhead. For people that need to get on 85 North the GA 400 S ramp is going to be an alternate entrance since that enters 85 North right after the break.