State inspectors and engineers are examining the damage and debating the best course of action after a semi-truck crashed into the 146th Avenue overpass on southbound US-131 Tuesday afternoon.
“Eyewitnesses report he was on M-6 and actually scraped one of the bottom beams of a bridge that is over 16 feet high. So, then he went on to southbound 131. He smacked right into 146th Avenue which has a clearance of only 14'2."
Michigan Department of Transportation communications representative John Richard says experts must decide whether to replace the damaged beams or the entire 50-year-old bridge with funding already at a critical low.
“The insurance company of the trucking company will definitely have to pay out, but these are tough decisions. Do we rehab this bridge and keep it at 14 foot two or replace the bridge and spend way more money to get a clearance of 16 feet plus?”
Richard says for at least the next few weeks, southbound 131 will remain closed at 84th Street with detours onto Clyde Park and South Division Avenue.
He hopes the latest incident will be a warning for other drivers.
“If you look out under these bridges, a lot of them are hit. I don't understand how truckers can leave their workplace with a high load and not know the under-clearance of bridges.”
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