Overpass damage worse than initially thought
A semi caused more damage than initially thought when it became wedged under the Riverside Dr. Overpass Wednesday morning, city officials say.
Wes Hicks, the city’s manager of capital projects, said engineers completed an inspection of the damage yesterday, and found a major structural beam was seriously damaged in the incident. The beam was badly bent by the impact and separated from the concrete deck, according to Hicks.
“It’s pretty serious. I think that the engineers still need more time to look at how it’s going to be repaired,” Hicks said. “It’s most likely going to need to be replaced.”
Hicks said one lane overtop of the damaged beam will remain closed to traffic over the weekend, and weight restrictions have been put in place. No loads over 63,500 kg will be allowed to cross the southbound lanes until further notice, he said. In coming days the city’s engineers will be reviewing the weight limit, Hicks said, and are exploring the possibility of adding temporary braces to the overpass.