I-244 Bridge Damaged By Truck Re-Opened 20 Days Ahead Of Schedule

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said the job was done 20 days ahead of schedule, though they said initially that sort of work would normally take months to complete.

Tuesday, October 30th 2012, 5:42 pm

By: News On 6

I-244 Bridge Damaged By Truck Re-Opened 20 Days Ahead Of Schedule

Crews have finished repairs on an I-244 bridge, first estimated to be completed before Thanksgiving, one day before Halloween.

The bridge over West 3rd Street or Charles Page Boulevard was damaged when a driver of a Smithey Environmental Services truck attempted to pass underneath it with a hydraulically-lifted ramp up.

The truck wedged under the bridge, raising a section of it noticeably.

I-244 has been closed there since that happened on October 15.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said the job was done 20 days ahead of schedule, though they said initially that sort of work would normally take months to complete.

ODOT said the crews will get a bonus for finishing the job early.

The cost of the repairs was estimated at $450,000, and an early completion incentive is still being figured up.

"We do know who caused the damage to the bridge and any time there is damage to state property, we can recover the cost from the responsible party," said ODOT spokesperson Kenna Mitchell.

Third Street, under the bridge, will remain closed for at least a week.