Damaged Bridge Closes Eastbound Lanes Of Busy Tulsa Highway

The eastbound lanes of Highway 412 remain closed at the 65th West Avenue bridge after a truck hauling a crane crashed into it Thursday afternoon.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says they are not sure when the eastbound lanes will be reopened to traffic. 

11/16/2017 Related Story: Truck Carrying Crane Hits Overpass On Highway 412 At 65th West Avenue

Eastbound drivers are being forced to exit to get around the closed section of highway.

ODOT crews were back on the scene Friday afternoon. 

It's not hard to see the damage done to the 65th West Avenue bridge but ODOT said the impact might be worse than it looks.

Engineers have been doing assessments on the bridge and they say they've got more work to do.

Crews will also be pulling loose concrete from where the bridge was damaged.

They say the crane pulled one of the beams away from the road above and that's why they're keeping it closed for the time being with no real timetable on when it'll reopen. 

"We're concerned not just about the traffic below but also the traffic above on 65th West Avenue, which is why we have it closed right now...because we don't want to have any additional vibrations on the bridge that could damage it further," said ODOT's Kenna Mitchell. 

ODOT said the bridge was built in 1973 and it's considered structurally obsolete.

They said it's been hit several times over the years, with the last accident happening over the summer.

ODOT warns eastbound drivers to either take a different route or expect delays throughout the day Friday.