The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on Tuesday approved spending nearly $500,000 to repair six bridges that were struck by a truck carrying an oversized load.
The agency’s governing board approved paying $491,700 to Built-Right Construction following an emergency declaration that allowed immediate repairs to be made to the six bridges over the Will Rogers Turnpike.
The incident took place Dec. 16 on the turnpike near Claremore in Rogers and Mayes counties.
“The bridges sustained significant damage to multiple beams in the eastbound direction,” according to OTA.
Joe Echelle, OTA executive director, said the emergency repairs were completed within a week of the accident, and the bridges are now open and structurally sound.
After the bridges were struck, four were closed and two remained open, said Darian Butler, OTA engineering director.
Butler called the event “monumental,” adding that OTA officials “hadn’t seen anything quite like it.”
Butler said the agency will pursue reimbursement for the cost to repair the damages with the truck company’s insurance carrier.
“This was an illegal load,” he said, adding that the company did not get the required permit.
The driver of the 2021 Freightliner was cited for failure to have a permit, according to a citation provided to Oklahoma Voice by the state Department of Public Safety.
Service Oklahoma on Tuesday did not immediately release the collision report detailing the incident.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation Director Tim Gatz told his panel on Monday that the truck was transporting a utility pole base of some kind.
Gatz said had the company sought a permit, a suitable route could have been determined.
“This load was not routed and certainly was not observing the travel ways they should have been sticking to,” Gatz said. “The fact that they hit six of these bridges is on the inexcusable side.”
Because bridges had to be closed, disruption in local travel patterns was significant, Gatz said.
