SOPERTON, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say they hope to reopen an interstate that connects the Atlanta area to the Georgia coast by next week after a crash knocked a bridge overpass from its support beams.
Crews plan to demolish the overpass so they can reopen Interstate 16 by next week, the Georgia Department of Transportation said. The interstate was closed in both directions following Thursday’s crash.
At a news conference Thursday, authorities said a semi on I-16 was hauling a trailer with a dumping mechanism that was extended upwards, causing it to strike the bridge.
The agency shared photos on social media that show the bridge dislodged from its concrete base.
Interstate 16 is the main route between metro Atlanta, Savannah and Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The bridge is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta.
