Another Crane Failed to Clear the Bridge

[Bird]

As of this moment, I-35E northbound is shut down at Exit 460 (Corinth Parkway) which is my exit, just south of Denton. It's about 3 blocks from my home and there are two news helicopters buzzing around overhead because traffic is backed up for miles. Fortunately, I don't have to go anywhere and I do know alternative routes. But another crane embedded itself in the overpass and the truck driver was sent to the hospital with unspecified injuries. I think it was about a year ago that the same thing happened and the overpass was closed for over a month for repairs. I don't know yet how serious the damage will be this time.

 

[Piperflyer]

Pictures?

 

[Bird]

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures. TV Channel 5 NBC showed them pulling the embedded piece out of the bridge, but I didn't want to go down there and add to the traffic mess to get my own pictures and I don't know how long the pictures will be on Channel 5's website.

 

[Jimbrown]

I love it he speared the 14ft 8in sign dead center

LIVE NOW: Crane Crashes Into Bridge, Shuts Down NB I-35E - News Story - KXAS | Dallas

 

[Bird]

There's a couple of pictures in the Denton Record Chronicle and as I expected, the bridge will be shut down indefinitely. The last time it was about 2 months if I remember right.

 

[lopezian]

I don't think OSHA would approve of his technique for hooking up that chain. See the other pics of the truck that accompany the article. It looks like the crane flipped the truck up backwards before tearing off its base - flipped the truck high enough for the cab of the truck to get crushed on the *underside* of the overpass!

 

[EddieWalker]

OK, I give up. What's he doing in that picture?

Eddie

 

[Bird]

OK, I give up. What's he doing in that picture?

Eddie

He's on the wrecker boom hooking a chain around that crane boom that was poked through the floor of the overpass. Then he pulled it out of there.

 

[DirtyWorks]

I can only imagine the suprised guy on the overpass at the same time! What the @#*!? was that?

 

[jmfox]

It is clear that the crane didn't make, but not much is offered about the driver's condition. I'm not sure of the circumstances, but it looks like the crane may have been elevated. Either it was not in the travel position, or it creeped or bounced up during travel. One of the lessons maybe to chain down any hyraulics that would change your clearance estimate.

jmf

 

[Bird]

Yeah, the newspaper this morning tells about the bridge being closed, describes some of the damage, etc. but says nothing about the driver's condition. That does seem a bit strange. I sure hope he's OK, and that he has lots of good insurance.

 

[Bird]

The bridge has been closed since the accident on June 21, but this past week the city's website said TXDOT was supposed to start repairs Monday, the 13th, and have the bridge open again the first of September. I noticed the flashing signs along the northbound Interstate south of the bridge that say I-35E will be shut down from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the 13th.

And I never did see anything in the news about the driver's condition.

 

[coopers]

Yeah, the newspaper this morning tells about the bridge being closed, describes some of the damage, etc. but says nothing about the driver's condition. That does seem a bit strange. I sure hope he's OK, and that he has lots of good insurance.

Don't they have a law down there that says you can't tell the public the condition of someone in the hospital? They do up here. I can't remember if that's our WA State law or a national law.

 

[texasjohn]

Several years ago, something similar happened at Jarrell TX (about 25 miles north of Austin). A large crane was going north on IH 35. The control seals were worn and the bucket arm started rising by itself.

When the arm hit the bridge, the pre-stressed beams fell and hit the road. One lady driving alongside the rig, hit the beam on the road. She sustained a few broken bones but fortunately was not killed.

It took the highway department several hours to clear the road and repave the area the beams hit the surface. The bridge was out for several months.

I copied the above from this site.
which chronicles other similar events.

I live 1 mile from the Jarrell overpass that was destroyed by the crane several years ago... bad deal. We hate it when Jarrell makes the national news.. it's either tornados, dropped overpass, or ice storms

 

[Bird]

Don't they have a law down there that says you can't tell the public the condition of someone in the hospital? They do up here. I can't remember if that's our WA State law or a national law.

The hospital won't give out any details without the permission of the patient, but they do frequently provide enough information to the news media to say whether a patient is critical, serious, stable, fair, or has been released. And the news media frequently states whether any charges have been filed or not. In this case, I haven't seen or heard anything about the driver, the company he worked for if there was one, etc.

 

[Bird]

I just got back from the grocery store and the Corinth Parkway bridge over I-35E has had the holes patched and was re-opened today. Tomorrow would have been an even 2 months since it was shut down.