ATLANTA, Ga. — A fire burning beneath Interstate 85 late Thursday forced crews to close the highway near the Buford Highway interchange in northeast Atlanta while firefighters knocked it down.
Atlanta Fire Rescue said the first call came in at about 11:10 p.m., sending engines to a sizable blaze in the open ground beneath the interstate, close to the Buford Highway Connector. Firefighters had the flames under control by roughly 11:40 p.m., about half an hour after they arrived.
The Georgia Department of Transportation described it as a brush fire along northbound I-85 at State Route 13, which is Buford Highway, and reported every northbound lane closed. Traffic in both directions was halted for a time, and parts of Buford Highway near Cheshire Bridge Road were also blocked while crews worked and checked that the roadway was safe.
Smoke rose from under the highway as fire engines lined up nearby and lane closure signs went up for drivers approaching the area. Before traffic could move again, crews had to be sure the pavement and the structure overhead were safe for drivers to use.
The stretch sits on one of the main routes in and out of the city. Atlanta is where I-20, I-75 and I-85 come together, so a closure on I-85 north of downtown can quickly push traffic onto Buford Highway, Cheshire Bridge Road and other surface streets.
Officials had not said what started the fire as of early Friday, and no estimate was given for how long any follow-up work would take. Drivers heading through the area should check GDOT traffic alerts before leaving, since cleanup or inspection work can bring more short lane closures.
Section: More Atlanta GA crime news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Traffic News
