News

Inspectors make improvements after 17th Street collapse

ATLANTA,None — Bridge inspectors are paying close attention to attachments as they conduct safety reviews.

Channel 2's Linda Stouffer saw a team checking out the spots where utility pipes and a sound wall connect to a bridge over West Wesley Road.

Georgia Department of Transportation's Deputy Press Secretary Jill Goldberg said safety is always a priority, and crews are looking for "any decay, they look for anything to be loose, they check the concrete. They're looking for connections to make sure they are done properly and still in place properly."

They use a camera on a scope to inspect areas out of sight.

The 9,000 bridges in Georgia are checked at least once every two years on a rotating schedule.

Last August, a large section of canopy fence fell off the 17th Street Bridge.

An engineer determined it was caused, in part, by an adhesive that allowed crucial bolts to move, or "creep."

That accident has spurred a change in the inspection process. GDOT said it is also conducting a review of attachments, looking for any sign of adhesive trouble.

When Stouffer asked if crews found any adhesive damage, Goldberg said, "Not yet, not at this time. We haven't had anything to deal with yet."

She also told Channel 2 Action News the department is days away from starting the process of final repairs in midtown.

"To do the repair work on the south side, and put up a new fence. On the north side we are going to go back and put some additional connections in that were recommended in the report," Goldberg said.

Right now, the sidewalk is closed on the side of the 17th Street Bridge where the accident happened.