MEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Two lanes on Interstate 93 in Medford reopened Thursday morning after road crews completely closed the highway overnight as repairs to the smashed Roosevelt Circle overpass continued.
Traffic was detoured off of Exit 24 and onto the Route 28 between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. as workers continued to make repairs to the damaged overpass that was struck by a truck hauling an oversized load on Monday.
The right travel lane and the breakdown lane have since reopened but delays are again expected throughout the morning commute. The other three lanes are expected to reopen at some point on Thursday. The eastbound rotary bridge damaged during the incident will remain closed indefinitely.
A large piece of metal equipment that was being transported on an Alabama-based Dove Transportation Co. truck collided with part of the Roosevelt Circle overpass on the southbound side of the highway near Exit 24 around 3:30 p.m. Monday, sending debris from the bridge deck crashing to the ground.
The driver of the 2013 Peterbilt 367, a 57-year-old Alabama man, was uninjured. His passenger, a 54-year-old Alabama woman, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials were brought in to inspect the structural integrity of the bridge and found that the impact of the crash caused extensive damage to an outside beam.
The entire beam and a section of bridge deck, approximately 7 feet wide, will need to be demolished between the west abutment and the center pier, located above I-93 southbound lanes of travel.
Repairs are expected to take anywhere from six to eight months.
The driver will be ticketed $105 for being overheight and $105 for violating the permit issued by the Department of Transportation by being off course. The driver may still face criminal charges in connection with the crash.
Motorists should avoid the area if possible and take public transportation but those traveling on the highway should reduce speed and use caution.
There are currently no travel impacts to the northbound lanes on I-93.
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