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I-85 collapse to snarl traffic for months
Officials still investigating cause of fire
W collapse
Crews work on a section of an overpass that collapsed from a large fire on Interstate 85 in Atlanta Friday. 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 the collapse Thursday, completely shutting down the heavily traveled highway. - photo by Associated Press
ATLANTA — Atlanta's dreadful rush-hour traffic could be extra nasty for months to come after a raging fire underneath Interstate 85 collapsed an elevated portion of the highway and shut down the heavily traveled route through the heart of the city.Traffic was bumper to bumper on nearby streets as drivers were forced to take a detour Friday, the morning after the blaze caused the concrete to crumble.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.
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