DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — All lanes of I-285 are back open after a crash shut down the interstate for over 10 hours and injured three on Monday.
Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach and Channel 2′s Darryn Moore showed you LIVE on Channel 2 Action News This Morning as the westbound lanes reopened around 5 a.m.
Traffic is light on Tuesday morning as drivers travel on I-285 westbound. Gehlbach said even the bridge is back open.
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On Monday afternoon, a massive tractor-trailer fire shut down all lanes of I-285 in both directions at Ashford Dunwoody Road, causing extreme delays and damage to the road.
The eastbound lanes reopened three hours later just after 6 p.m., finally allowing stuck drivers to resume travel.
Officials told Channel 2 Action News that the pavement was so damaged by flames that they will have to repave.
[PHOTOS: Crash, truck fire shuts down all lanes of I-285 in Dekalb County]
Vehicle fire 🚛🔥 I-285WB/Ashford Dunwoody Rd (exit 29). Extreme delays! All lanes are currently blocked. #ATLTraffic TN
— Dunwoody Police (@DunwoodyPolice) August 29, 2022
Channel 2 Action News was over the scene all afternoon Monday giving real-time updates on road conditions and guiding drivers to alternate routes.
The fire broke out around 3 p.m. underneath the Ashford Dunwoody Road overpass. Once crews put the fire out, engineers were brought in to assess the structural integrity of the bridge.
NewsChopper 2 also spotted at least two other cars were flipped onto their sides on the highway.
Police said the initial crash that sparked the fire involved several cars and left three people hurt.
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Dunwoody Police said investigators determined one vehicle went around another vehicle that was stopped in traffic, which caused an initial crash with three vehicles. The tractor-trailer hit a black car which was pushed against the median barrier and flipped another car onto its side.
The tractor-trailer caught on fire when it came to a rest. Officials confirmed to Channel 2 that the tractor-trailer was carrying beer.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot learned that engineers had to wait for the bridge to cool down before they could assess it. Crews appeared to be starting the assessment process just after 5:30 p.m.
The Georgia Department of Transportation said the bridge was built in 1971 and was in good condition prior to the fire.
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