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Four of the five structural supports of the bridge, which carries I-90 traffic over Hwy. 35, were severely damaged at 10:41 a.m. when they were struck by a truck hauling a 75-ton piece of mining equipment, Wisconsin State Patrol Sgt. Frank Hefti said at the accident scene.
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A 75 ton piece of mining equiptment lies wedged under thhe westbound I-90 overpass on Hwy 35 south. The equipment caused damage to four of the five structural support beams, causing state officials to close the bridge.
Erik Daily |
The bridge will be closed until at least Monday, but possibly much longer, while repair work is done, Hefti said. In the meantime, westbound traffic on I-90 has been rerouted to Hwy. 157 North to Main Street in Onalaska, Wis., then to Hwy. 35 South and back onto the interstate.
Hefti said the alternate route is temporary and the State Patrol and Department of Transportation hopes to restore two-way traffic by early this week, putting one lane in each direction on the eastbound lanes of I-90.
Hwy. 35 South was re-opened Saturday evening and should remain open until at least Monday, according to the State Patrol.
This is not the first time an oversize load has failed to clear that overpass: On Nov. 17, 2005, a truck pulling a construction end loader bent a steel bridge girder 4 to 5 inches. The bridge was not closed because there were no cracks or holes, and no injuries were reported.
In August that same year, a boat being towed on Hwy. 35 became stuck under the same overpass, holding up traffic for hours before it was freed by letting some air out of the trailer tires.
In Saturday’s accident, the truck driver started in Milwaukee but couldn’t go into Minnesota because his permit to haul an oversize load in that state did not become effective until today, Hefti said. Hefti did not know the truck’s final destination.
The driver got off at Exit 3 to Hwy. 35 south, heading south into La Crosse to find a place to stay the night, but the bridge wasn’t high enough for the load, Hefti said.
The drill bit caused “major structural damage to the bridge,” Hefti said, forcing the State Patrol to shut down I-90 from Exit 4 to Exit 3, so cars couldn’t drive on it, as well as Hwy. 35 from the interstate to George Street, so cars couldn’t drive under it.
While there were no injuries in the initial accident, it led to a secondary crash involving five vehicles, State Patrol Sgt. James Lind said Saturday afternoon. People were hurt in those accidents, but Lind was unsure of the severity of the injuries.
The effected portions of I-90 and Hwy. 35 were both closed or restricted for months last year for construction projects.
A $1.4 million Department of Transportation project on Hwy. 35 kept traffic restricted from summer through late fall as the intersection of Second Avenue and Oak Forest Drive was reconstructed. Work also was done to realign the intersection of Oak Forest Drive and Oak Avenue, and left-turn lanes and sidewalks were added.
During the same time, traffic on I-90 was shifted to a single lane in each direction near Exit 3 to widen bridges and replace decks over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The $4 million project spanned from the Minnesota state line to state Hwy. 157.
Shortly after the bridge incident, the State Patrol reported another accident on westbound I-90 near Hwy. 157, involving several vehicles and a fuel spill. The State Patrol had no additional information Saturday evening.
Alternate routes
Interstate 90 will be closed from Exit 4 to Exit 3 until at least Monday. The State Patrol recommends this alternative route:
Hwy. 35 South, which is open until Monday, will close from the I-90 Exit 3 ramp to George Street. Enter I-90 West at Exit 3 and get off at Exit 2, then drive through the town of Campbell to get into La Crosse.
Kate Schott can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or kschott@lacrossetribune.com.
Larry wrote on Mar 13, 2007 2:00 PM: