ATLANTA (CNN) — A massive fireball collapsed a portion of Interstate 85 in Atlanta, sending motorists driving through billowing black smoke before the city shut down that section of the highway indefinitely.

The fire started underneath part of the highway on Thursday evening. At about 7 p.m., an elevated section of the northbound interstate collapsed, forcing frantic motorists to seek alternative routes.

An estimated 250,000 cars per day drive through that stretch of the interstate — a major thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta.

While the highway is normally jammed with cars around that time, there were no fatalities, Mayor Kasim Reed said.

Social media users posted surreal images showing drivers vanishing into the black smoke on the highway as the fire burned beneath them.

CNN’s Eliott C. McLaughlin was driving north on I-85 during evening rush hour when he saw smoke rising from underneath the elevated highway.

Many cars on the left side of the five-lane section barreled through the thick black smoke. They disappeared into the darkness as they drove, he said.

McLaughlin slowly followed the taillights of an SUV through the smoke.

Cortez Stafford, a spokesman with the Atlanta Fire Department, said the blaze was massive.

“There was a 40-feet or higher wall of fire. Power lines were falling and arcing heavily and falling in the streets,” Stafford told CNN.

As concrete began falling from under the bridge, firefighters were asked to step back, Stafford said. “Not even two minutes later, the highway fell with a big ‘kaboom.’ (It) knocked our guys back.”

Interstate traffic was stopped and turned around, creating jams that extended 5 miles or more. While that’s not long by Atlanta standards, many drivers were stuck in the area for hours.

As word of the incident spread, so did the speculation.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed did not provide details on what caused the collapse, but said it is not linked to terrorism and an investigation is underway.

“We’ve spoken to the special agent in charge of FBI, there is no evidence this is related to terrorism,” he said Thursday night.

Gov. Nathan Deal said he heard speculation it was caused by some “PVC products that caught fire.”

In an unusual move, two fire trucks from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in south Atlanta rushed to the scene and sprayed foam on the fallen section and flames.

‘It’s going to take some time’

Authorities worked through the night to access the bridge and ensure the risks from the collapse are contained.

“There is a possibility you could have a further collapse,” Reed said. “We still have personnel at the sight making sure there is no hotspots. We won’t know the area of vulnerability for the bridge until tomorrow.”

All five lanes of the highway in each direction will be closed for the foreseeable future, officials said.

That prospect sent shudders through metro Atlanta commuters, who already contend with heavy traffic.

Officials scrambled to come up with alternate routes and encouraged commuters to use public transit.

Transportation authorities are trying to put together a traffic and detour plan for drivers.

Deal told reporters the company that originally built the elevated highway would assess the damage.

“It’s going to take some time to get it repaired and to get it back in service,” he said, without offering a time frame for reopening.

MARTA, Atlanta’s rail and bus system, will offer extended service through the weekend.

One school district, in nearby DeKalb County, canceled classes for Friday. Schools in Atlanta will be open, Reed said, and city and state offices won’t open until 10 a.m.

The collapse happened at a crucial time. The Atlanta Braves will play the Yankees at a 7:35 p.m. home game, and next week is spring break for many schools in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Reginald DesRoches, a professor at Georgia Tech, said most structural materials lose strength when subjected to high temperature, meaning the concrete could have been compromised by the heat.

He said it is too early to say how long it will take to repair the highway.

“It certainly can take anywhere from several weeks to several months,” he said. “The surrounding sections of the highway will be evaluated to determine if any damage was sustained from the heat. It is probably prudent to check both sides of the adjacent sections (northbound and south bound).”</s>Several roads have shut down in northeast Atlanta after a large fire caused an overpass on Interstate 85 to collapse. WSB-TV reported that PVC piping underneath the interstate may be burning, but the Georgia Department of Transportation has yet to identify the cause to the public.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Sunherald.com.</s>ATLANTA – Three people are in custody after a fire that led to the Interstate 85 bridge collapse in Atlanta, according to several media outlets.

Citing the state fire marshal's office, Atlanta's WSB-TV reports that one man has been charged with criminal damage to property and two others with criminal trespass.

Drivers in one of the nation’s most congested cities faced a jarring new reality Friday as they were forced to game out how to get around a collapsed portion of Atlanta’s Interstate 85 — one of the Southeast’s major north-south arteries.

A mysterious fire collapsed part of I-85 northbound Thursday evening — injuring no one — and also damaged the southbound portion, forcing the closure of all five lanes in each direction for the foreseeable future.

The shutdown likely sets the city up for traffic headaches for months after creating navigation hell Thursday with jams that extended five miles or more and stranded motorists for hours.

The closure comes at a sensitive time for a city accustomed to gridlock — with hordes of spring break vacationers poised to drive though the regional hub and the Atlanta Braves set to play a preseason game Friday night in their new stadium northwest of the city.

“I think it’s as serious a transportation crisis as we could have,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said Thursday evening.</s>Three people were arrested Friday in connection with a raging fire that collapsed an elevated portion of Interstate 85 in Atlanta and shut down the heavily traveled route through the heart of the city.

Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence said Basil Eleby faces a charge of criminal damage to property, and Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas each were charged with criminal trespass.

"We believe they were together when the fire was set and Eleby is the one who set the fire," Florence told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Florence would not discuss how the fire was started or why, saying those details would be released as the investigation progresses.

Traffic was bumper to bumper on streets near the shut-down portion of the interstate as drivers were forced to take a detour the day after the blaze.

The collapse took place a few miles north of downtown, and the effects could fall most heavily on commuters from Atlanta's densely populated northern suburbs. They will have to find other routes to work or ride mass transit.

Connie Bailey-Blake, of Dacula, 37 miles northeast of Atlanta, waited for a MARTA commuter train to reach her job downtown. She typically drives, often by way of the interstate.

"I'm supposed to be at work at 9 a.m. and it's 9:15 a.m.," Bailey-Blake said. "The first few days are going to be difficult. This will be my new life."

Amelia Ford picked a new route to work by car and said it took her 45 minutes to travel 3 miles from her Atlanta home to the nearest open on-ramp to the interstate.

Georgia Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said 350 feet of highway will need to be replaced in both directions on I-85, which carries about 400,000 cars a day through the city and is one of the South's most important north-south routes.

He said repairs will take months but declined to be more specific.

The collapse effectively "puts a cork in the bottle," Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough said.

The fire broke out Thursday afternoon in an area used to store state-owned construction materials and equipment, sending flames and smoke high into the air. Fire authorities said they had not determined how the blaze started.

McMurry said his department stored coils of plastic conduit used in fiber optic networks beneath the span but insisted they were noncombustible.

No injuries were reported from the fire and collapse. Firefighters shut down the section of highway before it gave way, and made it to safety themselves after hearing the road cracking and seeing concrete go flying, authorities said.

In the meantime, MARTA increased rail service and said additional staff would be on hand to help passengers figure out how to get where they're going.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao promptly released $10 million for the initial repair work, and the Federal Highway Administration promised more in emergency repair funds. Officials gave no estimate of how much the job would cost.

Built in 1953 and renovated in 1985, the span scored high in its most recent inspection, receiving a rating of 94.6 out of 100 in 2015, said Natalie Dale, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Transportation Department.

Lauren Stewart, director of the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, said intense heat can compromise even steel-reinforced concrete.

"With fires, especially fires that burn for long periods and with high heat, you can see structures, anything from buildings to bridges, can have their material properties degrade," Stewart said.

It's happened before. In 1996, a fire in a big pile of tires beneath I-95 in Philadelphia left a span too weak to handle cars, forcing authorities to shut down 4 miles of the busy East Coast route for repairs.

Andy Herrmann, a retired partner with the New York-based engineering firm Hardesty & Hanover, said there have also been a few instances of gasoline trucks crashing and causing intense heat that damaged overpasses.

In one example, a tanker carrying 8,600 gallons (32,550 liters) of gasoline ignited after crashing into a guardrail on an interchange connecting Interstate 80 to Interstate 880 in Oakland, California. Heat from the flames exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused the steel beams holding up the overpass to buckle and bolts holding the structure together to melt, officials said at the time.

Herrmann said concrete will undergo severe cracking at about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and start disintegrating at higher temperatures. Building roads to withstand such heat would be prohibitively expensive, he said.

"We have limited dollars for maintaining our bridges," Herrmann said. "This is such a rare thing to occur."

AP writers Alex Sanz in Atlanta; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; and Kevin McGill and Rebecca Santana in New Orleans contributed to this report.</s>ATLANTA (AP) — Commuters in some of Atlanta’s densely populated northern suburbs will have to find alternate routes or ride public transit for the foreseeable future after a massive fire caused a bridge on Interstate 85 to collapse, completely shutting down the heavily traveled highway.

Georgia’s top transportation official said there’s no way to tell when the highway, which carries 250,000 cars a day, can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction following the collapse, which happened Thursday afternoon during rush hour.

“We will have to continue to evaluate the situation and adjust as we do,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said. “This incident — make no bones about it — will have a tremendous impact on travel.”

The interstate is a major artery for the U.S. South and a thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. The bridge collapse effectively “puts a cork in the bottle,” Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough said.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency, saying the state is mobilizing resource to try to keep traffic disruption to a minimum while emergency work continues.

It began with a fire that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://on-ajc.com/2nl88ef) burned for more than an hour under I-85 northbound near Piedmont Road, spewing clouds of black smoke skyward. The interstate has been closed indefinitely and the Department of Transportation warned all motorists to stay off I-85.

Traffic was bumper-to-bumper on nearby surface streets Thursday night as people scrambled to find alternate routes.

Officials said no one was hurt despite dramatic images of towering flames and plumes of smoke.”This is about as serious a transportation crisis as we can imagine,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said.

Rose Diggs told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she lives less than a mile from the fire site but couldn’t get home because of blocked surface streets. She said she was told to walk despite being disabled, “but it’s raining and dark.”

Capt. Mark Perry of the Georgia State Patrol told the newspaper the agency doesn’t know what started the fire beneath the bridge but terrorism is not suspected.

Gov. Deal told reporters that some PVC plastic materials in a vehicle may have caught fire.

“I do not know why they did or what the source of their transport was,” Deal said Thursday. “But those are questions that will hopefully be answered at least by tomorrow morning.”

Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said no cars were on the overpass when it fell.

“Our guys got here quickly and shut down the interstate and said, ‘No one else is driving over this bridge,'” he said.

Firefighters noticed chunks of concrete falling from the bridge and got out of the way just minutes before it collapsed, Stafford said.

Deal said inspectors were at the scene and they’ve contacted the original company that built the bridge to come in and assess the extent of the damage.

“We’re trying to determine everything we can about how quickly can we repair it and get it back in service,” Deal said. “I can assure you we will do everything to expedite the repair and replacement of that section of the bridge.”</s>ATLANTA (AP) — Three people were arrested Friday in connection with a raging fire that collapsed an elevated portion of Interstate 85 in Atlanta and shut down the heavily traveled route through the heart of the city.

Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence said Basil Eleby faces a charge of criminal damage to property, and Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas each were charged with criminal trespass.

“We believe they were together when the fire was set and Eleby is the one who set the fire,” Florence told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Florence would not discuss how the fire was started or why, saying those details would be released as the investigation progresses.

Traffic was bumper to bumper on streets near the shut-down portion of the interstate as drivers were forced to take a detour the day after the blaze.

The collapse took place a few miles north of downtown, and the effects could fall most heavily on commuters from Atlanta’s densely populated northern suburbs. They will have to find other routes to work or ride mass transit.

Connie Bailey-Blake, of Dacula, 37 miles northeast of Atlanta, waited for a MARTA commuter train to reach her job downtown. She typically drives, often by way of the interstate.

“I’m supposed to be at work at 9 a.m. and it’s 9:15 a.m.,” Bailey-Blake said. “The first few days are going to be difficult. This will be my new life.”

Amelia Ford picked a new route to work by car and said it took her 45 minutes to travel 3 miles from her Atlanta home to the nearest open on-ramp to the interstate.

Georgia Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said 350 feet of highway will need to be replaced in both directions on I-85, which carries about 400,000 cars a day through the city and is one of the South’s most important north-south routes.

He said repairs will take months but declined to be more specific.

The collapse effectively “puts a cork in the bottle,” Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough said.

The fire broke out Thursday afternoon in an area used to store state-owned construction materials and equipment, sending flames and smoke high into the air. Fire authorities said they had not determined how the blaze started.

McMurry said his department stored coils of plastic conduit used in fiber optic networks beneath the span but insisted they were noncombustible.

No injuries were reported from the fire and collapse. Firefighters shut down the section of highway before it gave way, and made it to safety themselves after hearing the road cracking and seeing concrete go flying, authorities said.

In the meantime, MARTA increased rail service and said additional staff would be on hand to help passengers figure out how to get where they’re going.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao promptly released $10 million for the initial repair work, and the Federal Highway Administration promised more in emergency repair funds. Officials gave no estimate of how much the job would cost.

Built in 1953 and renovated in 1985, the span scored high in its most recent inspection, receiving a rating of 94.6 out of 100 in 2015, said Natalie Dale, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Transportation Department.

Lauren Stewart, director of the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, said intense heat can compromise even steel-reinforced concrete.

“With fires, especially fires that burn for long periods and with high heat, you can see structures, anything from buildings to bridges, can have their material properties degrade,” Stewart said.

It’s happened before. In 1996, a fire in a big pile of tires beneath I-95 in Philadelphia left a span too weak to handle cars, forcing authorities to shut down 4 miles of the busy East Coast route for repairs.

Andy Herrmann, a retired partner with the New York-based engineering firm Hardesty & Hanover, said there have also been a few instances of gasoline trucks crashing and causing intense heat that damaged overpasses.

In one example, a tanker carrying 8,600 gallons (32,550 liters) of gasoline ignited after crashing into a guardrail on an interchange connecting Interstate 80 to Interstate 880 in Oakland, California. Heat from the flames exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused the steel beams holding up the overpass to buckle and bolts holding the structure together to melt, officials said at the time.

Herrmann said concrete will undergo severe cracking at about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and start disintegrating at higher temperatures. Building roads to withstand such heat would be prohibitively expensive, he said.

“We have limited dollars for maintaining our bridges,” Herrmann said. “This is such a rare thing to occur.”</s>ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta's notoriously tangled commutes were thrown into disarray Friday after a bridge on Interstate 85 collapsed amid a massive fire, shutting down the heavily traveled highway through the heart of the city.

Traffic was bumper to bumper on nearby streets as people scrambled to find alternate routes after the fire broke out during rush hour Thursday afternoon. However, officials said no one was hurt despite towering flames and plumes of smoke captured in dramatic video footage.

"This is about as serious a transportation crisis as we can imagine," Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said.

Because of the damage to the key interstate, many commuters in some of Atlanta's densely populated northern suburbs will likely be forced to find alternate routes or ride public transit for weeks or even months.

Georgia's top transportation official said there's no way to tell when the highway, which carries 250,000 cars a day, can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction following the collapse in the northbound lanes leading out of the city.

"We will have to continue to evaluate the situation and adjust as we do," Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said. "This incident — make no bones about it — will have a tremendous impact on travel."

McMurry said Friday in a news release that bridge inspectors have determined the southbound lanes of I-85, adjacent to the section that collapsed, also were damaged by the fire and will need to remain closed for the near future.

He said the fire started in an area used to store construction materials, equipment and supplies. Authorities were still working to determine how the fire started.

Bobby Barnhart, who works for a financial technology company near the interstate, said he and his colleagues watched the bridge collapse from about 60 yards away as the fire raged Thursday afternoon. He said he heard several explosions beneath the bridge, followed by a slow rumbling.

"It was a big sound. You could feel the vibrations," Barnhart said.

With the interstate closed, Barnhart said his Friday morning commute was much more jammed than usual, taking him about 30 minutes rather than the normal 10 to 15.

The interstate is a major artery for the U.S. South and a thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. The bridge collapse effectively "puts a cork in the bottle," Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough said.

For some motorists, Thursday's snarl brought back nightmares from a winter storm in January 2014 that left drivers stranded on interstates and highways overnight and children trapped on school buses. During that storm, many abandoned their cars and slept in convenience stores or restaurants that opened their doors to commuters seeking shelter.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency after the interstate collapse, saying the state is mobilizing resources to minimize traffic disruption while emergency work continues.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, increased rail service Friday and will have additional staff on hand to help passengers figure out how to get where they're going.

Thursday's fire burned for more than an hour under I-85 northbound, spewing clouds of black smoke skyward. The interstate was shut down and the Department of Transportation warned all motorists to stay off I-85.

Rose Diggs told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she lives less than a mile from the fire site but couldn't get home because of blocked surface streets. She said she was told to walk despite being disabled, "but it's raining and dark."

Capt. Mark Perry of the Georgia State Patrol told the newspaper terrorism is not suspected.

Gov. Deal told reporters PVC plastic materials in a vehicle may have caught fire.

Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said no cars were on the overpass when it fell.

"Our guys got here quickly and shut down the interstate and said, 'No one else is driving over this bridge,'" he said.

This story has been corrected to show the name of the person who lives near the fire is Rose Diggs, not All Rose Diggs.</s>ATLANTA (AP) - The Latest on the collapse of a section of an interstate in Atlanta (all times local):

Surface streets in Atlanta were clogged with traffic Friday morning after a massive fire caused a section of Interstate 85 to collapse, closing the major artery for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, added extra trains to accommodate additional passengers who may try to avoid the roads altogether.

MARTA CEO Keith Parker told The Associated Press the transit system was seeing strong crowds but that everything was going well.

He urged people to remember that trains can get people from the system's northernmost points to downtown in about 20 minutes and that a trip between downtown and the airport takes about 15 minutes.

The collapse happened during the afternoon rush hour on Thursday and officials have said there's no way to tell when the highway can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction.

Atlanta's rapid transit system is increasing service to accommodate increased ridership expected after a massive fire caused a section of Interstate 85 to collapse.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, says it's increasing rail services and will have additional staff on hand to help passengers.

The fire and subsequent collapse happened during the Thursday afternoon rush hour. Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry says there's no way to tell when the highway can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction.

The interstate, which carries 250,000 cars a day, is a major thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough says the bridge collapse effectively "puts a cork in the bottle."

A major effect on traffic in a city already known for gridlock is expected after a massive fire caused a bridge on Interstate 85 to collapse in Atlanta.

Georgia's top transportation official says there's no way to tell when the highway can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction following the collapse, which happened Thursday afternoon during rush hour.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry says the collapse "will have a tremendous impact on travel."

The interstate is a major artery for the U.S. South and a thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta.

Traffic was bumper to bumper on nearby streets Thursday night as people scrambled to find alternate routes.

However, officials say no one was hurt despite dramatic images of towering flames and smoke.</s>ATLANTA (AP) — A massive fire caused an interstate bridge to collapse during rush hour Thursday in Atlanta, just minutes after witnesses said police halted traffic and turned cars away from the crumbling overpass. However, officials said no one was hurt despite dramatic images of towering flames and plumes of smoke.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the fire burned for more than an hour under I-85 northbound near Piedmont Road, spewing large clouds of black smoke skyward. The interstate — a major artery for the U.S. South that runs through the heart of Atlanta — was closed indefinitely.

The impact on traffic long-term was not immediately known, but traffic was bumper to bumper on nearby surface streets Thursday night as people scrambled to find alternate routes. The Department of Transportation warned all motorists to stay off I-85.

“This is about as serious a transportation crisis as we can imagine,” Mayor Kasim Reed said.

All Rose Diggs told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she lives less than a mile from the fire site but couldn’t get home because of blocked surface streets. She said she was told to walk despite being disabled, “but it’s raining and dark.”

The state’s top transportation official said there’s no way to tell when the highway, which carries 250,000 cars per day, can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction.

“We will have to continue to evaluate the situation and adjust as we do,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said. “This incident — make no bones about it — will have a tremendous impact on travel.”

The interstate is a major thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. The bridge collapse effectively “puts a cork in the bottle,” Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough said.

Capt. Mark Perry of the Georgia State Patrol told the Journal-Constitution that the agency doesn’t know what started the fire beneath the bridge but that terrorism is not suspected.

Gov. Nathan Deal told reporters that some PVC plastic materials in a vehicle may have caught fire. “I do not know why they did or what the source of their transport was,” Deal said. “But those are questions that will hopefully be answered at least by tomorrow morning.”

Deal added that “to my knowledge we have not had any injuries as a result of this fire on the bridge.”

Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said no cars were on the overpass when it fell.

“Our guys got here quickly and shut down the interstate and said, “No one else is driving over this bridge,” he said.

Firefighters noticed chunks of concrete falling from the bridge and got out of the way just minutes before it collapsed, Stafford said.

Deal said inspectors were at the scene and they’ve contacted the original company that built the bridge to come in and assess the extent of the damage.

“We’re trying to determine everything we can about how quickly can we repair it and get it back in service,” Deal said. “I can assure you we will do everything to expedite the repair and replacement of that section of the bridge.”

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>ATLANTA — A massive fire caused an interstate bridge to collapse during rush hour Thursday in Atlanta, just minutes after witnesses said police halted traffic and turned cars away from the crumbling overpass. However, officials said no one was hurt despite dramatic images of towering flames and plumes of smoke.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the fire burned for more than an hour under I-85 northbound near Piedmont Road, spewing large clouds of black smoke skyward. The interstate — a major artery for the U.S. South that runs through the heart of Atlanta — was closed indefinitely.

The impact on traffic long-term was not immediately known, but traffic was bumper to bumper on nearby surface streets Thursday night as people scrambled to find alternate routes. The Department of Transportation warned all motorists to stay off I-85.

“This is about as serious a transportation crisis as we can imagine,” Mayor Kasim Reed said.

Rose Diggs told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she lives less than a mile from the fire site but couldn’t get home because of blocked surface streets. She said she was told to walk despite being disabled, “but it’s raining and dark.”

The state’s top transportation official said there’s no way to tell when the highway, which carries 250,000 cars per day, can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction.

“We will have to continue to evaluate the situation and adjust as we do,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said. “This incident — make no bones about it — will have a tremendous impact on travel.”

The interstate is a major thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. The bridge collapse effectively “puts a cork in the bottle,” Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough said.

Capt. Mark Perry of the Georgia State Patrol told the Journal-Constitution that the agency doesn’t know what started the fire beneath the bridge but that terrorism is not suspected.

Gov. Nathan Deal told reporters that some PVC plastic materials in a vehicle may have caught fire. “I do not know why they did or what the source of their transport was,” Deal said. “But those are questions that will hopefully be answered at least by tomorrow morning.”

Deal added that “to my knowledge we have not had any injuries as a result of this fire on the bridge.”

Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said no cars were on the overpass when it fell.

“Our guys got here quickly and shut down the interstate and said, “No one else is driving over this bridge,” he said.

Firefighters noticed chunks of concrete falling from the bridge and got out of the way just minutes before it collapsed, Stafford said.

Deal said inspectors were at the scene and they’ve contacted the original company that built the bridge to come in and assess the extent of the damage.

“We’re trying to determine everything we can about how quickly can we repair it and get it back in service,” Deal said. “I can assure you we will do everything to expedite the repair and replacement of that section of the bridge.”
A fire results in the collapse of a bridge on Interstate 85 in Atlanta, Georgia, during rush hour, stranding motorists and resulting in a state of emergency. Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed calls the situation a "transportation crisis" that could close the affected stretch of highway for days or weeks. A 2015 report stated that the highway carried nearly a quarter-million vehicles a day.