I-93 South In Medford Fully Reopens, Roosevelt Circle Overpass Repairs To Take 8 Months
MEDFORD (CBS) -- Days after a truck hit the Roosevelt Circle overpass on Interstate 93 south in Medford, MassDOT has fully reopened the highway.
Since Monday's crash, at least one southbound lane has been closed as contractors work around the clock to remove the damaged section of the bridge. Both sides of the highway were shut down overnight to accelerate the work.
"I'm pleased to say that the contractors most of the damaged material, as of this afternoon, and in the next few hours, we expect they will be clearing up the roadway underneath of the overpass so that [I-93] can be restored to all four lanes of traffic," Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver told reporters.
All four southbound lanes were fully reopened by 5 p.m. Thursday.
@MassDot crews have removed the area of the beam that was struck and the adjoining concrete and rebar on the 93S overpass. More to go and on track to restore 93S to 4 lanes this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/KyA90foaYw
— Jonathan Gulliver (@JLGulliver) July 22, 2021
Repairs on the Roosevelt Circle overpass are expected to take up to eight months.
At around 3:20 p.m. on Monday, a truck carrying a huge metal water tank slammed into the overpass, causing extensive damage. The large tank hit two structural beams. The first beam was split in two and the second was bowed from the impact.
Massachusetts State Police said the Alabama man driving the truck was not permitted to drive on I-93 in Medford. The load was also 9 inches over the 14-foot height limit. He also didn't have a flag car.
The driver for Dove Transportation, who has not been identified, was cited and now faces a $210 fine.