ATLANTA — Following concern expressed by residents after witnessing people experiencing homelessness seek shelter in crawl spaces inside metro Atlanta bridges, Georgia Department of Transportation crews are beginning to implement solutions.
Just 24 hours after an 11Alive report, Georgia Department of Transportation crews were seen welding the crawl space under the I-85 Downtown Connector on Friday.
11Alive's Bobeth Yates captured a video where crews can be seen performing work underneath the bridge as she passed under the overpass.
People gathering or items being improperly stored under roadways has many worried the situation could lead to a bridge collapse similar to the one in 2017. That's when a section of I-85 fell after a massive fire.
11Alive's very own Crash Clark shared what he witnessed while passing under the overpass a few days ago.
“I saw a guy putting a big green trash barrel down, and he climbs up on top of it, and he starts making his way inside the interstate overpass, almost similar to an attic in a house,” he said.
He is among the latest to witness someone entering a bridge hatch. And he isn’t alone; while investigating the story, our cameras captured a different person entering the crawl space of a bridge.
“Obviously, they’re going in there because they’re cold or they need shelter, but maybe we can find warming centers or create more shelters. But I think that’s a hazard for the community,” said one resident.
Cathryn Vassell with Partners for HOME, a nonprofit that helps to connect people experiencing homelessness with resources, said the concern is on their radar.
“We have elevated that issue to the Georgia Department of Transportation and they are aware of it. They are working to secure those locations and we have asked that they prioritize that,” Vassell said.
In a statement, GDOT previously confirmed the effort and added they are working with local law enforcement and social service agencies to secure area bridges. Atlanta Police said they previously did an operation a couple of days ago, removing some people experiencing homelessness from the bridges.
11Alive has reached out to the Georgia Department of Transportation to gather more details on the most recent solution. We are awaiting a response.