State investigating Arlington Road bridge after Tuesday crash

Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN)

Jul. 25--A Tuesday evening collision between a flatbed truck's too-tall load and the West Arlington Road bridge is the fifth such incident since 2003, and it came just weeks after a contractor repaired $241,000 in damage from a nearly identical crash in 2018.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is investigating the history of collisions and lack of required signs at the West Arlington Road bridge over the Ind. 45/46 Bypass. Even though the driver was found to be carrying construction machinery above their permitted clearance, inspectors found the bridge itself is too short to not have signs indicating low clearance.

Natalie Garrett, the Indiana Department of Transportation's media relations director for the Seymour District, said in an email that bridges spanning state roads only need signs if they are lower than 14 feet, 6 inches. The Arlington Road bridge's westbound minimum vertical clearance is that high, in places. In others, it's 14 feet, 2 inches, and there are no signs saying so.

"This is because of changes to S.R. 45/46 that goes underneath the bridge over time during various construction projects," Garrett wrote.

Around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, a truck from Sub-Surface of Indiana out of Morgantown was headed west on the Ind. 45/46 Bypass.

A new traffic pattern resulting from an ongoing concrete replacement project guided the driver into the eastbound lane, and it was then that the construction machinery on the truck's flatbed struck the bridge.

Garrett said the Indiana Department of Revenue had issued the driver of that truck a permit to use that corridor while carrying a load with a 13-foot, 6-inch height clearance. She said the driver was in violation of that permit because he struck a bridge that is 14 feet, 2 inches at its lowest point.

State and local police closed West Arlington Drive between West Gourley Pike and North Prow Road to traffic between the time of the crash and around 8 p.m. Tuesday to allow for the bridge to be inspected. Garrett said that initial review found damage to the outside beam of the bridge, similar to the damage from the Aug. 21, 2018, collision. Contractor Reith-Riley Construction recently completed $241,000 in repairs to the Arlington Road bridge resulting from last year's incident, and Garrett said the state hopes to use them again to repair the bridge after this week's incident.

"The State of Indiana covers the cost initially, but is then reimbursed by the trucking company or truck driver's insurance company once the final cost is determined," Garrett said. "A more intensive hands-on inspection is planned for next week. INDOT consultants, construction and finance personnel are all working to get a repair mobilized."

The bridge was cleared as safe for travel Tuesday night and both lanes were opened, but the northbound shoulder remains closed until repairs can be completed.

Contact Kurt Christian at 812-331-4350 or [email protected].

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