By Staff 9-2,2015
An overpass over Interstate 90 near Gillette was damaged Wednesday when it was hit by a truck hauling an oversized load. The bridge that goes over Wyoming Highway 59 in Gillette has sustained major damage. The bridge near mile post 126 on I-90 was struck from underneath as the oversize load was going under the bridge on WY-59 northbound.
Tony Hayworth, 43 years old from Gillette, was operating the self permitted oversize load and transporting a John Deere excavator track hoe. The boom of the excavator had not been properly loaded and secured. The extended boom exceeded the 16 foot, 8 inch height clearance of the underpass of I-90 on WY-59 causing the boom to strike the bridge.
Traffic on I-90 eastbound on the bridge has been diverted to the left passing lane only with a reduced speed of 45 mph as WYDOT assesses the damage. No oversize traffic is being permitted over the bridge at this time.
Traffic on WY-59 has also been diverted as crews are still cleaning up debris from the bridge and assessing the damage from underneath.
Motorists are being asked to follow the reduced speed on the bridge as well as the advisory signs on both I-90 and WY-59. For updates on this event, please visit www.wyroad.info.