The Highway 82 overpass at Old West Point Road is closed and awaiting repairs from the Mississippi Department of Transportation following yet another strike from an eastbound oversized vehicle.
It’s the second time a driver has hit the overpass since October and the fifth time since 1994.
Mississippi Highway Patrol Sgt. Derrick Beckom said he received reports of debris along Highway 82 at about 5:45 p.m. Sunday. Upon arriving at the scene, he concluded a truck hauling oversized equipment had struck the bottom of the overpass once again, knocking loose chunks of concrete, as well as the plywood that was used to repair damage from the previous incident.
“There was significant damage to the bridge,” Beckom told the Dispatch. “Whatever struck it, we didn’t see it. It never stopped.”
MDOT crews were called to the scene to remove strands of rebar left dangling from the overpass into the right lane while troopers with MHP cleared the debris from the roadway.
The roadway was cleared and the overpass was “patched up” by 10 p.m., Beckom said. There were no reports of accidents or injuries resulting from the damage. The overpass will remain closed until repairs can be completed by MDOT, though highway traffic is permitted to travel both east and west beneath it.
Although the offending driver fled the scene, Beckom suspects it was a large truck carrying an oversized load that struck the bottom of the overpass. An 18-wheeler hauling an excavator hit the same spot on the overpass in October.
Beckom said the overpass provides 16.14 feet clearance over Highway 82, more than three feet taller than what is legally considered “low-clearance.” However, Beckom said many vehicle operators are overhauling without realizing they are over the legal height limit. It is the first overpass drivers encounter coming from the Brooksville and Macon area after getting off Highway 45 to head east toward Columbus.
“That’s kind of been what we’ve experienced in the past, you know. Instead of letting whatever they’re hauling down to its lowest capacity, they leave it up, and it ends up striking that bridge,” Beckom said. “It’s always that one.”
The overpass suffered cosmetic damage in 1994, in which steel strands were exposed following a vehicle strike. The overpass suffered structural damage following a strike to one of its beams in 2013. In 2019, a hit to the overpass caused cosmetic damage to its concrete.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation was out of office for Presidents’ Day and could not be reached for comments regarding the extent of damage or expected duration of repairs.
You can help your community
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 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
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 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
