The Durham Road Interstate-295 overpass in Brunswick that was damaged on Tuesday by an excavator loaded on a trailer will likely cost at least six figures to repair, according to Maine Department of Transportation Spokesperson Paul Merrill.
Underneath the I-295 overpass in Brunswick after it was struck by a truck. Courtesy of MDOT
As of Wednesday, the overpass remained restricted to a single lane of alternating traffic. The northbound traffic on the interstate was restored to normal around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Three of the four structural beams under the bridge were damaged and Maine DOT has asked an engineering consulting firm to provide an analysis of the structure, Merrill said. The analysis is expected to take about a week.
Following that analysis, Merrill said there are three possibilities going forward: cut out the damaged piece and replace it, cut out a piece of the bridge deck to replace all four of the beams in the impacted area or replace the entire bridge. Merrill estimated the cost of those options would range from at least six figures to millions of dollars if the bridge is totally replaced.
It is unclear how it would be paid for at this point, Merrill said, but in the past Maine DOT has worked with the owner of the vehicle and their insurance company to recoup some or all of the costs.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
According to Maine State Police Spokesperson Shannon Moss, the driver was a Kevin Chubbock, 55, of Edgecomb.
The excavator that struck the Durham Road overpass on Tuesday. Courtesy of Maine State Police
The truck was owned by Dick Holbrook & Son’s Inc., a general contracting company based in Woolwich. Chubbock was cited, and the company was issued a $325 ticket for operating with an expired annual inspection sticker on the truck and a $326 ticket for operating with a load extending over maximum allowed height.
The bridge, built in 1955, has a clearance of 14.5 feet. In 2001, the deck of the bridge was replaced. The speed the truck was traveling is unknown.
“We have strikes on that bridge before because it is among the lower ones on I-295,” said Merrill. While an exact number was not available, Merrill said impacts on that bridge have occurred multiple times in the last several years.
Statewide, Merrill said that it is not uncommon that overpass bridges are hit, but most of the time there is no damage to the bridge.
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