Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry, along with state and local officials briefed the public on developments in the ongoing efforts to repair and replace sections of the I-85 roadway near Piedmont Road. The Commissioner met with Governor Nathan Deal and Butch Waidelich from the Federal Highway Administration. They committed to work together, along with key partners to ensure the I-85 rebuilding process is expedited and the interstate is operational as quickly as humanly possible. Approximately 700 feet of the roadway -- approximately 350 feet northbound and 350 feet southbound will be removed and replaced including support columns. Demolition will begin this weekend and will continue into Monday, April 3.

Other local and state officials at the press conference included Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mark W. McDonough, City of Atlanta Fire Chief Joel Baker, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority CEO Keith Parker, and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority/ State Road and Tollway Authority Executive Director Chris Tomlinson.

After walking the site, Commissioner McMurry expressed gratitude to the first responders who kept the public safe and prevented a terrible situation from being far worse.

Since Thursday night, Georgia DOT bridge inspectors have been inspecting the site, assessing the damage and providing information to engineering and design teams. The Georgia DOT will continue the process of determining the extent of the damage in adjacent sections and surrounding infrastructure, and there may be additional repair work that is not quite as obvious. The Department’s engineers began design work for the known damaged sections last night and will continue to advance that process as additional information is available.

"I’d like to express our thanks and gratitude to the motoring public, who listened to the information we distributed overnight and changed their commute patterns this morning to take the pressure off of the metro roadways. I thank the people of Atlanta for their resilience and the exceptional efforts taken to find alternative routes, adjust schedules and use transit to help ease congestion around this site,” the Commissioner said.

McMurry also explained that the area where the fire originated is part of the state’s right of way utilized as a storage location for construction materials, equipment and supplies. The area contained materials such as

plastic conduit which is a stable, non-combustible material. This kind of conduit is used for electrical or fiber optic cables. The storage site was a secured area that has been used in this manner for years. It is not an uncommon practice for Georgia DOT or other state agencies throughout the country to store their material on the right of way.

Finally, the Commissioner reiterated that the Department was still in the assessment phase, and it will take several months of construction for the roadway to be open to traffic. The Department has aggressive goals to work to reopen some adjacent roadways to traffic in the near future, and will provide updates on these openings as soon as plans are finalized.

Georgia DOT will continue to work with officials, law enforcement, transit partners and many others to provide information and alternatives for the traveling public and the larger impacted community. The Department asks that travelers plan their travel in advance, and consider options like transit, alternative routes, flex scheduling and work from home, if possible.