T.R.U.S.T.
Sep 22, 20201 min
Public Radio Tulsa
By CHRIS POLANSKY
September 22, 2020
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said Tuesday that while heavy truck traffic in August had risen to above pre-pandemic levels for the first time since travel dropped off due to COVID-19, incidents of trucks striking bridges have also increased.
"I think we may have had on the order of around seven or eight bridge strikes this year, which is quite a few for us," said Darian Butler, OTA's director of engineering, on a Tuesday meeting of the authority's board held virtually. "I don't know exactly what the reasons are for that."
"Many times these bridge impacts are being caused by loads that are improperly secured," said Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz. "It can be as simple as a trackhoe, or even a backhoe, that is not properly secured with the boom down that rides up during transport and subsequently strikes a bridge."
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