City truck damages bridge, MDOT plans repair
Jun. 21—The Mississippi Department of Transportation will be leading efforts to repair the 49th Avenue overpass over Interstate 20 after a city truck struck the bridge.
On Tuesday, Public Works Director David Hodge told the City Council the driver of one of the vacuum trucks used to clean sewer lines didn't realize the lid of the truck was up and struck the bridge as he drove underneath. No one was injured in the incident, he said.
Southbound travel on the overpass will need to be closed while the construction is underway, Hodge said, but that is still a ways off. MDOT first needs to acquire the necessary easements, design the project and put it out for bid, he said.
On the city's side, the vacuum truck is in Birmingham, Alabama, being repaired, and public works has three other similar trucks that can handle the workload in the meantime.
Costs to the city for the truck and bridge repair are not immediately known. Hodge said the city's insurance is expected to cover some of the cost, and MDOT may help with some of the bridge expenses.
Contact Thomas Howard at thoward@themeridianstar.com
