ODOT Swings Into Gear for Emergency Repairs

There was significant damage to the bridge, forcing authorities to close the northbound lanes of the interstate. Crews worked with contractor ES Wagner to remove a portion of the bridge deck and beams that were damaged in the crash.

By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is coordinating repairs involving one of the busiest freight routes in the nation, following an accident in Rossford, Ohio.

In the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 10, ODOT crews responded to a chaotic scene after an oversized semi-tractor trailer struck the Lime City Road bridge over I-75.

“All lanes of I-75 were covered in concrete debris under the bridge,” said David Geckle, ODOT District 2 bridge engineer. “Several cars were on the outside shoulder with damage, and the piece of equipment that struck the bridge was lying in the median.”

According to preliminary findings, the driver of the truck was traveling northbound on I-75 when his load — the base of an intermodal container crane — hit the overpass. The impact caused debris to strike another vehicle, causing minor injuries to the motorist. Several more vehicles struck debris following the initial crash, and one commuter was hurt when he fell outside his vehicle.

There was significant damage to the bridge, forcing authorities to close the northbound lanes of the interstate. Crews worked with contractor ES Wagner to remove a portion of the bridge deck and beams that were damaged in the crash.

“The first action was to get traffic diverted from the interstate onto a workable detour,” said Manuel Carrillo, ODOT

Northwood outpost transportation manager. “Crews and equipment were mobilized to begin clearing debris.”

The fascia girder on the bridge was completely severed near the point of impact. Several crossframes had broken free and the concrete deck suffered some damage on the bottom side from shear studs pulling out.

Concrete debris from the bottom of the deck and steel crossframes from between the steel girders that were dislodged upon impact had to be cleared. The piece of hauled equipment that hit the bridge slid into the median but did not directly affect traffic.

“The initial repairs included removing the damaged portion of the girder and a portion of the reinforced concrete see page 2