CDOT: Interstate Collapse In Atlanta Could Happen In Colorado
DENVER (CBS4)- The Colorado Department of Transportation believes an interstate collapse, like the one that happened in Atlanta, could happen anywhere-- including Colorado.
CDOT organized a meeting on Friday that discussed Colorado's infrastructure. Officials with the agency said the state's roads and bridges are over engineered to make them extra durable.
But CDOT is ready in case something goes wrong.
"We're constantly inspecting bridges. We make sure that anytime an incident happens, we send some folks out to assess the damage, assess the stability of the bridge... you wouldn't be driving on it if it wasn't safe right now. But we're poised to react when there is an incident," said CDOT Chief Engineer Joshua Laipply.
In August 1985, a bridge over railroad tracks along U.S. Highway 36 collapsed when two freight trains collided underneath it. Five people were killed and part of the Boulder Turnpike was destroyed.
"What you had was two locomotives that collided head-on underneath the bridge on U.S. 36," said CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson. "It basically melted the bridge. A fire was created. It killed both engineers and the bridge basically melted because of the heat from the locomotives being on fire."
CDOT had a detour built around the destruction within a couple of days.
Three people were arrested Friday in connection with a raging fire that collapsed an elevated portion of Interstate 85 in Atlanta and shut down the heavily traveled route through the heart of the city.