News Update
Dump truck hits Farmersville bridge
By Chris Beattie, cbeattie@starlocalnews.com, @CB_StarNews on Twitter
A bridge across U.S. Highway 380 in Farmersville was damaged Tuesday night when the bed of a dump truck hit it.
Farmersville Police Chief Mike Sullivan said that around 7 p.m. a dump truck carrying three people and traveling on U.S. 380 hit the Main Street Bridge, which spans the highway, and knocked out a beam. All three passengers were transported to the hospital, but only one with serious injuries, police said.
Investigators, who with road crews were on scene until early Wednesday morning, speculate that the dump truck's bed was up for some reason as the truck went under the bridge, Sullivan said. The bridge has a 13-foot-8-inch clearance.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) engineers went to the scene to inspect the bridge's stability, and decided to shut it down, hence shutting off all northbound and southbound Main Street traffic.
TxDOT had started construction to widen U.S. 380 through the area, and was was set to tear down and replace the bridge later his year, said Michelle Releford, TxDOT spokesperson. Sullivan said TxDOT told Farmersville officials in recent months that the demolition would be postponed 11 months unless something happened to the bridge - as it did Tuesday.
"They knocked out a beam - that's pretty significant," Releford said Wednesday afternoon. "They're just going to leave it closed down, and it's going to remain closed through the end of the year."
Farmersville Police Chief Mike Sullivan said that around 7 p.m. a dump truck carrying three people and traveling on U.S. 380 hit the Main Street Bridge, which spans the highway, and knocked out a beam. All three passengers were transported to the hospital, but only one with serious injuries, police said.
Investigators, who with road crews were on scene until early Wednesday morning, speculate that the dump truck's bed was up for some reason as the truck went under the bridge, Sullivan said. The bridge has a 13-foot-8-inch clearance.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) engineers went to the scene to inspect the bridge's stability, and decided to shut it down, hence shutting off all northbound and southbound Main Street traffic.
TxDOT had started construction to widen U.S. 380 through the area, and was was set to tear down and replace the bridge later his year, said Michelle Releford, TxDOT spokesperson. Sullivan said TxDOT told Farmersville officials in recent months that the demolition would be postponed 11 months unless something happened to the bridge - as it did Tuesday.
"They knocked out a beam - that's pretty significant," Releford said Wednesday afternoon. "They're just going to leave it closed down, and it's going to remain closed through the end of the year."
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