PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Engineers are busy creating a plan to get the collapsed portion of I-95 rebuilt as quickly as possible.
Giving people hope is a similar incident in Atlanta six years ago, when crews were able to make repairs in less than two months.
The fiery bridge collapse toppled a portion of I-85 in 2017, shutting the overpass down completely.
Investigators say a homeless man sparked the intense blaze after intentionally setting a chair on fire and subsequently igniting combustible materials stored under the highway.
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Crews work on a section of an overpass that collapsed from a large fire on Interstate 85 in Atlanta, Friday, March 31, 2017.
(AP Photo/David Goldman)
Engineers say neither collapse was due to infrastructure issues, but a result of extreme heat.
“We design stuff to be reliable and this is odd and unreliable. It’s happened in the past. But if you consider bridge fires that happened, compare it to a home fire or building fire, there’s way, way, less of those,” said Andrew Bechtel, a civil engineering professor at The College of New Jersey.
SEE ALSO: Officials: Driver lost control of tanker before fire, I-95 collapse
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Given the size of the I-95 collapse and damage, Professor Bechtel expects the repairs to take much longer than Atlanta.
“They have to remove everything that’s there. Look at what’s left — that’s months,” said Prof. Bechtel. “Every bridge is essentially custom made, brought to the site and constructed. And I-95 is a big road that carries heavy traffic.”
Crews have been working around the clock, inspecting and then demolishing the damaged stretch of road while engineers are designing its replacement.
Many drivers say avoiding the mess is impossible.
Crews work to remove the damaged overpass on the southbound lanes of I-95 on June 12, 2023.
“You don’t realize how much that cripples the city, you really really don’t,” said Ruth Acker of Bridesburg.
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Officials say it could take months to repair both the northbound and southbound lanes that were damaged by the deadly tanker fire.
To speed up the process, Governor Josh Shapiro is asking the feds for more money.
“I think the clear message from us is that any federal resources that is necessary will be made available to ensure that this bridge get reopened as quickly as possible,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt.
SEE ALSO: Drexel University engineer explains possible cause of I-95 collapse in Philadelphia
ATLANTA – Atlanta has the highest number of rental properties impacted by price adjustment algorithms, according to a recent White House analysis on RealPage, a company under scrutiny by the Department of Justice.
The DOJ has accused RealPage of harming renters through its price-setting software, which uses algorithms to adjust rental rates. The White House noted that limited housing supply and reduced competition contribute to higher prices, with the issue particularly pronounced in Atlanta.
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In Atlanta, about three-fourths of available rental units are affected by RealPage’s algorithms, according to the report. Nationally, the company’s software is used in at least 10% of rental properties.
The analysis estimates that the pricing algorithms add about $181 per month to Atlanta renters’ costs, significantly higher than the $70 national average increase.
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RealPage denies that its revenue management software is the issue and says that housing affordability is the real issue. They have devoted considerable space on their website to disputing various reports.
Atlanta ranked 30th most expensive rental market for month of November, study says
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Additionally, they released a statement in response to the report from the White House saying, “We are disappointed The White House CEA never contacted RealPage about their report, which is riddled with flawed assumptions.”
RealPage says that the White House’s conclusions were based on the “erroneous assumptions” that all property managers are setting coordinated rents.
7 corporations own more than 50K metro Atlanta rental homes, analysis finds
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The company is correct in saying that affordable housing is a major concern for many Americans.
Atlanta Beltline surpasses affordable housing goals, eyes 7,500-unit milestone
The Braves will be available to more in-market fans in 2025, in an interesting deal that seems like a good thing for fans. Having a broadcast TV option for in-market viewers is a pretty huge win, as not having to pay for a cable package while still being able to watch some Braves baseball is only going to expand the number of fans who can access Braves games this year. This represents a small loosening of the grip that the RSN/blackout zone era has had on access to watch local teams. Meanwhile, the rumor mill churns and we continue our season reviews.
Braves News
The Braves will be simulcasting 15 games over broadcast television in-market in 2025, in a deal with Gray Media.
Gaurav took a look at one of the bittersweet stories in the organization for 2024, as the big-bonus Ambioris Tavarez took meaningful steps forward in a small sample, but suffered from injury.
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MLB News
Braves’ legend (sarcasm) Griffin Canning reportedly agreed to a 1 year deal just north of $4 million with the division rival Mets.
Nolan Arenado reportedly used his no-trade clause to block a trade from the Cardinals to the Astros, but the teams are reportedly still in discussions.
Old friend Bryse Wilson signed a major league deal with the White Sox worth just over $1 million to compete for a rotation spot.
The Angels and White sox made a minor trade, as the White Sox sent catcher Chuckie Robinson for cash.
Atlanta is opening another housing complex for those who are homeless — the third such opening this year.
The latest reimagines the 1960s-era Atlanta Motel, which had sat deteriorating along Moreland Avenue right off I-20 in east Atlanta.
The 56 units, renovated by the developer Stryant, will be open to people considered chronically homeless, meaning they’ve been without a place for more than a year.
“This is a blueprint now on what’s possible, to take old hotels, old motels, turn them into studio apartment units in this growing city — to make sure no one is left behind,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Wednesday at the opening.
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The Atlanta Housing Authority is providing housing vouchers for the units, so residents pay no more than 30% of their income on rent. Fulton County has committed to providing supportive services.
This follows the opening of two similar complexes — the Melody downtown and 729 Bonaventure in Poncey-Highland.
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