I-85 collapse: Major north-south artery closed as spring break travel kicks off

Atlanta (CNN)Drivers in one of the world's most congested cities faced a jarring new reality Friday as they were forced to game out how to get around a collapsed portion of Atlanta's Interstate 85 -- one of the Southeast's major north-south arteries.

A mysterious fire collapsed an I-85 northbound overpass Thursday evening -- injuring no one -- and also damaged the southbound portion, forcing the closure of all five lanes in each direction for the foreseeable future.

The shutdown likely sets the city up for traffic headaches for weeks to come after creating navigation hell on Thursday with jams that extended five miles or more and stranded motorists in the immediate area for hours.