The Georgia Dept. of Transportation plans to reopen a collapsed section of I-85 in downtown Atlanta by the morning of May 15, officially completing a marathon, six-week effort to restore the section of highway that normally carries nearly 250,000 vehicles a day. Contractor C.W. Matthews Construction will earn an estimated $3.1-million early-completion incentive for finishing the work roughly a month ahead of the original schedule.
GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry praised agency staff and contractor C.W. Matthews for accelerating a reconstruction process that began shortly after a March 30 fire in a material storage area caused approximately 700 feet of elevated highway to collapse. Initial assessments projected construction to last at least until mid-June.