A portion of Interstate 75 has been reduced to one lane in Michigan after a semi truck crashed into a bridge’s support beam, leaving a visible crack.
The accident happened at around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22nd near Monitor Township, Michigan.
According to MLive, the tractor trailer was traveling in the southbound lanes of I-75 when, for unknown reasons, it lost control and crashed into a support beam on the Salzburg Road overpass, catching the wrecked rig on fire, leaving a notable crack in the support beam, and scattering the truck’s load of fiberboard across the roadway.
The unnamed truck driver was able to escape the burning rig with only minor injuries, but the truck was a total loss.
The crash, as well as the damage done to the bridge, forced the closure of I-75 southbound at the Salzburg Road overpass through Wednesday night as the Michigan Department of Transportation worked to install temporary bridge supports.
One left lane of southbound I-75 was reopened by 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 22nd, and traffic is getting by beneath the bridge. The Salzburg Road overpass will remain closed to traffic until the bridge repair is completed, but MDOT spokesperson Jocelyn Hall says that more lanes of southbound I-75 are expected to be opened by Thursday afternoon.
As of 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, there was no estimated time for the completion of the bridge repairs or the reopening of the Salzburg Road overpass, and officials were still investigating the exact reason for the crash. It is not yet clear if the truck driver will be issued any citations.