Georgia officials hope to repair interstate bridge by June

Crews work on a section of an overpass that collapsed from a large fire on Interstate 85 in Atlanta, Friday, March 31, 2017. Many 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 Thursday, completely shutting down the heavily traveled highway. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Crews work on a section of an overpass that collapsed from a large fire on Interstate 85 in Atlanta, Friday, March 31, 2017. Many 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 Thursday, completely shutting down the heavily traveled highway. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

By Associated Press April 5, 2017 1 min read

ATLANTA – Georgia transportation officials hope to finish rebuilding a key interstate bridge by mid-June after a large fire caused its collapse last week.

Authorities have said the fire was started by a man under the bridge in an area north of downtown Atlanta. The collapse on Thursday forced the closure of a portion of Interstate 85 and workers are continuing to remove scorched debris from the area.

Georgia Department of Transportation officials said they will offer financial incentives to contractors to meet interim deadlines and have the bridge repair done by June 15.

The closed section of I-85 is a key link to some of the city’s biggest suburbs. It carries about 400,000 vehicles a day in a city where there are surprisingly few alternative routes for its size.