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Hernando Today
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Traffic Flow Back To Normal As Work Begins On Overpass
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Published: December 11, 2008
RIDGE MANOR - Demolition began Wednesday on the concrete struts that were damaged when a dump truck smashed into an Interstate 75 overpass.
The collision happened Tuesday afternoon when the eastbound Mack truck on State Road 50 coasted through a green light at the I-75 juncture. For some reason, the truck's long steel bed was rising as it went under the bridge and it punched through a concrete support beam.
Traffic crawled along through detours for several hours while engineers with the Florida Department of Transportation gauged the damage.
All lanes of State Road 50 were opened up around noon on Wednesday, but a southbound lane on the interstate remained closed. A temporary lane is expected to be in place by the end of week, according to FDOT.
Intermittent detours should still be expected, however, as construction gets under way.
A company contracted by FDOT, Leware Construction, spent Wednesday knocking out the damaged beams and bridge deck and was expected to finish today.
Replacement beams are being fabricated and should be in place by early next week. The bridge deck will be poured by the end of next week. Barring inclement weather or other unforeseen hitches, work should be done in about three weeks, FDOT reports.
The contractor will ask for repair costs from the company that owns the truck, W. Clyde Daniel Construction of Brooksville. An FDOT spokeswoman did not know how much repairs would cost on Wednesday.
The Florida Highway Patrol is deciding what charges, if any, will be pressed against the company or the truck's driver, William Lindsay, 56, of Brooksville. Lindsay was not injured in the crash.
The last accident involving W. Clyde Daniel Construction was a 10 mph trailer collision in 2001. FHP determined the other driver was at fault, records show. Lindsay has no accidents listed on his driver's license.
Tribune researcher Michael Messano contributed to this report. Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.
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