LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — With the semitruck cleared, now begins the investigation into how much damage was done in Friday's crash on the 2nd Street Bridge.
The guardrails on the nearly 100-year-old bridge have not been tested for a crash like this; the transportation cabinet never expected a semitruck crossing the bridge would go straight through the steel supports and hit the guardrails.
"Normally, you would not expect a truck is going on bridge to be in a crash and perpendicular, it is highly unusual and completely unexpected," James Ballinger of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said.
But it did happen. At 12:03 p.m. on Friday, two cars, a pickup truck and a semitruck tangled on the bridge, sending the semitruck into the guardrail. The guardrail snapped -- the same guardrail that was inspected a few months ago.
"The guardrail, the entire structure of the bridge, would have been thoroughly inspected in September of 2023 just last year, less than a year ago the bridge was in good condition," said Ballinger.
As far as damages, the concrete sidewalk has buckled and the steel supporting the guardrail is bent. The transportation cabinet said the steel supports holding the guardrail are connected to the overall structure of the bridge.
“So, this is something that the barrier guardrail on the outside of the bridge it appears like it was in good condition, but at this time until we can get out and do inspection, we really cannot speculate,” said Ballinger.
On Friday night, Kentucky assembled a bridge inspection team that's bringing in a special piece of equipment called a snooper truck with a long arm, that will give them a better angle to get a good luck under the bridge.
"They are going to look at the bridge above the roadway deck as well as below the roadway deck," said Ballinger.
The engineers will focus on the area directly under the damaged section of the bridge.
The transportation cabinet has not given a time when they expect to reopen the bridge.
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