Part of I-85 collapses in Atlanta after massive fire

a reply to: SirHardHarry

Looking!

ATLANTA - Three people are in custody after a fire that caused a bridge to collapse on I-85, according to the state fire marshal's office.

Basil Eleby has been charged with first degree criminal damage to property and two others are charged with criminal trespass.

www.wsbtv.com...

a reply to: kosmicjack

Very limited info. Someone by the name of Basil Eleby was arrested in 2007 in Fulton county for the sale of coke, but that's all I can find so far about this person.

Link

Interesting.

Quite an arrest record, though, it seems. Link 2

Definitely doesn't look like "terrorism" just stupidity and thuggery.

Now the question becomes: why?

At least one of the three is a transient. Lots of social media accounts yesterday attesting to a problem at this location with homeless encampments.

a reply to: seagull

Seems to me, that something of this nature, which is going to cause nothing but problems, would qualify for some form of govt. (fed.) relief--matching funds or some such.

Oh, it definitely will, as part of the US Highway system. But money isn't the holdup.

The contracts will be handled through the state. The state has a very short list of contractors that it uses, typically because someone in the contracting company knows someone in the state DOT. So they get the contract. The contract is for a much longer period than is necessary, and it's very easy to get it extended. So the contractor works private jobs when they're available, and public jobs when not. A six month job gets spread out over 2 years, with the contractor pushing private deadlines (that usually won't be extended) for three fourths of that time.

I drove a dumpy truck for the local DOT contractor for a while after I came off the road... the corruption and cooperation between contractor and DOT is massive.

TheRedneck

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: seagull

Seems to me, that something of this nature, which is going to cause nothing but problems, would qualify for some form of govt. (fed.) relief--matching funds or some such.

Oh, it definitely will, as part of the US Highway system. But money isn't the holdup.

The contracts will be handled through the state. The state has a very short list of contractors that it uses, typically because someone in the contracting company knows someone in the state DOT. So they get the contract. The contract is for a much longer period than is necessary, and it's very easy to get it extended. So the contractor works private jobs when they're available, and public jobs when not. A six month job gets spread out over 2 years, with the contractor pushing private deadlines (that usually won't be extended) for three fourths of that time.

I drove a dumpy truck for the local DOT contractor for a while after I came off the road... the corruption and cooperation between contractor and DOT is massive.

TheRedneck

Yep, you nailed it.

But, hey, keeps a working man working , hopefully a USA worker with money staying here instead of going oversea or across the border.

a reply to: Groot

Don't get me started...

They laid off an entire asphalt crew that had been there 15 years to hire a Mexican crew... couldn't speak English, kept breaking the equipment, would motion a driver into a power line if he wasn't looking, and laid down such rough asphalt the DOT started threatening to pull contracts. No idea whatever happened over that; I decided not to drive a truck with no brakes shortly after they did that.

TheRedneck

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: Groot

Don't get me started...

They laid off an entire asphalt crew that had been there 15 years to hire a Mexican crew... couldn't speak English, kept breaking the equipment, would motion a driver into a power line if he wasn't looking, and laid down such rough asphalt the DOT started threatening to pull contracts. No idea whatever happened over that; I decided not to drive a truck with no brakes shortly after they did that.

TheRedneck

What was the justification for hiring the mexican crew? Cheaper wages, no benefits?

Three hobos huh ? This is getting surreal.

Buck

a reply to: D8Tee

Nailed it first try. Plus, they wouldn't complain about dangerous equipment.

TheRedneck

So, BS? Or not? I just don't know what to think of Anon anymore.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

So a intense fire causes a cement and re-bar structure to fail, imagine that...

Synopsis

1. Simple diversion while unknowns (unsubs) walked in / out strategic information, tech or virus, code etc.

2. Field test of nano technology.

3. Some future activity required the closing of I-85.

4. A total misdirection. The event caused a major realignment of strategic assets in the region. That may have been getting close to something of worth and that could not be allowed to happen.

Or any variation / combination of the above.

This was not a simple accidental arson by hobos.
But it is safe to say the general public is satisfied and other than the constant complaints about traffic congestion it will soon be forgotten.

Buck

originally posted by: flatbush71
Synopsis

1. Simple diversion while unknowns (unsubs) walked in / out strategic information, tech or virus, code etc.

2. Field test of nano technology.

3. Some future activity required the closing of I-85.

4. A total misdirection. The event caused a major realignment of strategic assets in the region. That may have been getting close to something of worth and that could not be allowed to happen.

Or any variation / combination of the above.

This was not a simple accidental arson by hobos.
But it is safe to say the general public is satisfied and other than the constant complaints about traffic congestion it will soon be forgotten.

Buck

Diversionary is a light way of putting what is going on in Atlanta right now. One of the largest travel weekends here and 85 is down...I am just really happy I don't have to go anywhere near downtown. 285 was a mess yesterday as were almost all back roads around my area with people flooding them trying to figure out a way to get home.

This just shows how a single highway can cause mass chaos to a major city. I mean if nothing else, it at least gave every nefarious actor out there an insight into how to bring a city to it's knees in quick fashion.

Imagine taking out strategic bridges on 85, 75, 285 and 400 all at the same time....Atlanta would implode. Has anyone seen a cost assessment of how much this is costing businesses in the area?

My wife left for FL this morning and said it was a crapfest all over the place.

The timing ( Friday ), the mercury episode and other less significant events.... its far to many coincidences all in short time frame.
Kevin's public statement using the word " compromised " rather than something to the effect of weakened structural integrity.

I remember years ago, there was a constant string of false bank alarms going off during the night. All over a large city. Between 10:00 PM - 04:00AM .Always Wed-Sat. After about two months on a Thursday night , three alarms came in. The fourth never tripped, the one they robbed. The case has never been resolved.

Buck

Why the %^#$ is this "steel/concrete melt" coming out on same day as pentagon release boring photos? They are %^&*(#$ with us just as I always suspected. God damn.

a reply to: flatbush71

This was not a simple accidental arson by hobos.

I tend to agree. The question now becomes, what is the real story?

TheRedneck

I've seen it said that there was pvc pipe orv electrical conduit stored under that bridge. I don't know how in the hell you'd ignite either, especially the pvc. I could see the conduit generating the heat necessary to weaken steel and concrete, but am at a loss for how someone could get it ignited in the amount necessary to get it all burning especially accidentally. I really can't envision that amount of conduit being stored in an unsecured location. There is a huge problem with copper theft in the state of Georgia. If it was electrical conduit, the only accidental ignition i could see is maybe some type of accident with something like an oxy- acetaline cutting torch. Likec someone using the torch to cut copper into moveable chunks igniting their tank and starting a fire hot enough to get the conduit burning.

Things just ain't making much sense with this right now.

Transients from...? AND HOW in the hell can lighting a chair on fire in a shopping cart cause this much damage? This all makes NO sense!
"The Georgia Department of Transportation said it was storing non-combustible, high-density plastic pipe underneath the bridge."

source

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: seagull

Seems to me, that something of this nature, which is going to cause nothing but problems, would qualify for some form of govt. (fed.) relief--matching funds or some such.

Oh, it definitely will, as part of the US Highway system. But money isn't the holdup.

The contracts will be handled through the state. The state has a very short list of contractors that it uses, typically because someone in the contracting company knows someone in the state DOT. So they get the contract. The contract is for a much longer period than is necessary, and it's very easy to get it extended. So the contractor works private jobs when they're available, and public jobs when not. A six month job gets spread out over 2 years, with the contractor pushing private deadlines (that usually won't be extended) for three fourths of that time.

I drove a dumpy truck for the local DOT contractor for a while after I came off the road... the corruption and cooperation between contractor and DOT is massive.

TheRedneck

and sometimes they go the other way and pay a huge bonus if its finished by a certain date.