Police have detonated a suspicious device that prompted a freeway closure in Atlanta that led to massive traffic backups.

Atlanta Police Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Espy says authorities on Monday found a tube-shaped object taped to the east side of the 14th Street bridge, which spans the downtown connector. The connector is a stretch of freeway where Interstates 75 and 85 meet in Atlanta.

Police detonated the device, which charred a section of the northbound side of the bridge.

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, lanes in both directions and southbound I-75 ramps to 14th Street were closed while police investigate. Traffic backups stretched far along the freeway and onto side streets.

Georgia State Patrol is assisting in the investigation. Additional details aren't immediately available.