An 18-wheeler hauling an excavator Tuesday morning hit the bottom of the Highway 82 overpass at Old West Point Road.
Mississippi Highway Patrol Sgt. Derrick Beckom said the accident was reported at about 8:45.
The excavator damaged the bridge, causing debris to fall and land on the highway, he said. One other vehicle, he said, was damaged by the debris, but no injuries were reported.
Law enforcement with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to the scene, along with crews from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, who worked to clear the debris and inspected the bridge for safety following the accident.
MDOT District 1 Engineer Matt Dunn told The Dispatch Tuesday that the bridge is 16.14 feet tall, which is a standard height for highway overpasses. Since the bridge is taller than 13.5 feet, the state does not require it to display a clearance sign.
Typically, Dunn said, the excavator on the back of the trailer should have been able to pass under the bridge. But the excavator’s boom was not lowered as far as it needed to be for the clearance and caught the bottom of the bridge, Dunn said.
Dunn said the concrete bridge is not “fracture critical,” meaning that it won’t collapse if one piece is damaged. He said he is “confident” the bridge will not fall, allowing highway traffic to still pass beneath it.
However, the bridge will still need repairs before cars are allowed to pass over it again, to prevent excess weight on top from causing more damage. Dunn said the overpass will be closed “indefinitely” until those repairs are completed.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
