Atlanta officials say there's no sign of terrorism in the massive fire that collapsed part of I-85

A section of I-85 collapsed
(Image credit: CNN/YouTube)

A section of Interstate 85 in Atlanta collapsed during rush-hour traffic on Thursday evening, thanks to a massive fire that burned for more than an hour, but fortunately no injuries have been reported. Traffic, on the other hand, will be a mess for the foreseeable future in already-congested Atlanta. I-85 carries 250,000 cars a day, and it's a major traffic artery for Atlanta as well as the South, said Georgia Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurray, and "this incident — make no bones about it — will have a tremendous impact on travel." The collapsed section really "puts a cork in the bottle," said Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Mark McDonough.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.