DORR TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A major freeway in West Michigan is back open days after an over-sized load heavily damaged an overpass.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reopened US-131 South from 84th Street in Kent County to 146th Avenue in Allegan County on Friday afternoon. The expressway had been closed since Tuesday afternoon when an over-sized load hit the 146th Avenue overpass.
Construction crews beat a self-imposed deadline to open US-131 by 3 p.m. on Friday. They removed 3 beams damaged in the impact, along with the pavement they supported on the bridge.
Meanwhile 146th Avenue will remain closed over US-131 for the foreseeable future, according to an MDOT spokesperson.
As for who will ultimately pay for the repairs, MDOT says the trucking company's insurance will foot the bill for the emergency repair work.
The cost to repair the bridge wasn't immediately available, but MDOT will have to decide between keeping the 68-year-old bridge at the same height or completely replace it with a taller overpass. The later option would be up-to-ten times more expensive than keeping the bridge's current specifications, according to MDOT.
The funding for any repair will have to come out of MDOT's yearly operating budget, which has about $100 million to spend on projects across the state.
The driver hauling the load is also believed to have hit two overpasses on M-6 before the strike on 146th Avenue. MDOT said those overpasses both stand over 16 feet.
MDOT spokesperson John Richard told FOX 17 the driver should have gotten a permit to haul an over-sized load before hitting the road. It's not clear if he did.
"They're supposed to have a permit and they're supposed to do a pre run to check the route with a regular vehicle without an over-sized lows to check those bridges," said Richard. "But they are not doing that. They are taking shortcuts, and they are doing everything they can to save time and money and stuff like this happens exactly ends up costing more money and more time for everybody."
So far no criminal charges have been filed against the driver.
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