MONROE, Mich. — On Aug. 20, a truck hauling a piece of construction equipment hit a railroad bridge over US-23 causing the roadway to be closed and scheduled for a 10-day emergency repair. On Tuesday, the bridge repairs were completed and the highway is now open.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) completed emergency repair work on the railroad bridge between M-50 and Plank Road in Monroe County ahead of schedule.
The truck that struck the bridge tore the bottom flange of one of the two main girders.
Project contractor Davis Construction completed heat straightening operations on Sept. 23 and applied the field prime coat on Sept. 24. That prime coat cured over the weekend and Davis repaired the bottom flange Monday. Final steel placement and bolt tensioning were also completed, and Davis completed repairs ahead of the 10-day emergency contract schedule.
MDOT bridge and railroad teams performed a final inspection prior to clean-up and the reopening of US-23.
"It was a real herculean effort by Davis Construction and the MDOT team. We appreciate both teams being so responsive to the needs of the local community," Craig Heidelberg, MDOT project manager said.
