Life Without I-85: Atlanta Commuters Are Feeling The Pain

BUCKHEAD, GA -- Commuters on their way to work crawled through gridlock early Friday, one day after a fire collapsed a section of Interstate 85 and doomed traffic in Atlanta's midsection for the foreseeable future.

While transit officials were still assessing the situation, drivers were accessing the situation, as in alternate routes, little-known roadways, surface streets -- whatever they could -- to get from point A to B.

Many of them took to social media to express their frustrations with the delays, which were bad on a good day, never mind what Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called "as serious a transportation crisis as we could have."

"Traffic is a mess," one Twitter user said, and that summed up many commuters, who braved the streets and highways. Several social media users said that they were leaving home early to prepare for slow traffic.

To make matters worse, GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said Friday that I-85 southbound at Ga. 400 was also compromised in the fire and that both south and north lanes on I-85 need replacing.

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said a severe storm that rolled through the area had compounded the issue for many county residents.

“Four exit ramps to I-85 south into DeKalb County are currently closed," Thurmond said in a statement. "More than 5,000 homes are still without power and our work crews are removing nearly three dozen downed trees. More than 102,000 DeKalb students were impacted by the school-closing decision."

Motorists who were stuck in the morass Thursday evening posted pictures on social media, letting their friends and family know that they were OK. No injuries were reported in the incident, a miracle considering the massive blaze and collapse, officials said.

“Employees with responsibilities for public safety, emergency management, and public works will continue their good efforts to maintain safety and responsiveness in the county," Thurmond said. "I am working with the county’s emergency response team, the DeKalb County Schools superintendent and other local and state officials to determine the best course of action."

One good thing for the city's tranportation was that MARTA announced that it had canceled all scheduled single-tracking throughout the weekend. Trains and buses will be operating on an expanded schedule to accommodate extra riders.

Read more: How Will I-85 Collapse Affect The Opening Of SunTrust Park?
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Read more: What Does I-85 Collapse Mean For Atlanta Schools?

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