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    1. Earthmoving

    Transported Excavator Hits Bridge in Idaho

    Nov. 21, 2024
    Repeated collisions of excavators with overpasses on Interstate 84 in Idaho result in costly damages.
    ID 47127391 © Ellesi | Dreamstime.com
    Excavator hits bridge in twin falls idaho

    By: Eric Goodell
    Source: The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho (TNS)

    Excavators have been meeting overpasses over Interstate 84 for all the wrong reasons.

    And it’s been proving to be costly.

    The Nov. 12 crash involving an excavator being transported on a truck that struck the Vinyard Road overpass west of Traveler’s Oasis truck stop damaged all four girders, and the resulting repair will likely cost between $500,000 and $1 million, Idaho Transportation Department spokesperson Courtney Wagner said.

    All four girders on the 60-year-old overpass were damaged, and at least half of the structure will need to be rebuilt.

    “It is a suspension type bridge so when the girders got hit some of that tension was released ... so the integrity of the bridge is compromised,” Wagner said.

    It’s not the first time overpasses in the area have been struck by excavators.

    An overpass just a few miles east of there on Eden Road was struck by an excavator in November 2017, damaging three girders and temporarily closing the road.

    How quickly the repairs were done weren’t immediately available.

    In January 2007, a truck hauling construction equipment, namely a John Deere excavator, hit the I-84 overpass at U.S. Highway 93 north of Twin Falls.

    How to safely transport equipment

    A senior technician with the Idaho Transportation Department estimated the damage at more than $400,000, according to a Times-News report.

    It just goes to show that overpass collisions aren’t rare, and people hauling large pieces of equipment need to make sure that excavator arms are lowered so they can safely travel under the bridges, Wagner said.

    The Vinyard Road overpass is between 17 and 18 feet tall, Wagner said. ITD isn’t required to put up signs warning drivers of low overpasses unless they are 15 feet 7 inches tall, but puts signs when they are 16 feet or lower, she said.

    Replacing the bridge will take time, likely at least a year.

    “We have to start the design project, bid it out, and basically start from scratch on the bridge,” Wagner said.

    Wagner didn’t know how many people use the overpass, she said, but much of it is farm traffic. Motorists who regularly use the overpass will need to detour for several miles to the next overpass.

    ITD will use emergency funds for the reconstruction effort, but that doesn’t mean the person responsible for causing the damage will go scot-free. The department will go after the person’s insurance company to reclaim funds, Wagner said.

    Wagner said the driver didn’t initially stop after the load made impact with the underpass, but the Idaho State Police made contact with the individual. The ISP said a driver was cited for having a load that was too high.

    No description was available of what damage the excavator received.

    (c)2024 The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho)
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