The bridge that carries Beckman Road over Interstate 90 in Girard Township, Erie County will remain closed after being struck by a semi-truck earlier today.
In response to the crash, maintenance crews from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Erie facility shut down traffic on the bridge and placed a lane restriction on the westbound lanes of I-90 to allow department bridge inspectors to visit the site and assess potential damage.
Inspectors determined several beams suffered significant damage and the bridge should remain closed for the safety of the traveling public.
Plans to replace the structure are already in development as part of a larger PennDOT project. That work is in the design phase with an anticipated construction in 2027.
The 205-foot bridge was built in 1959. It is posted with a vertical limit of less than 14 feet for traffic in the westbound lanes of I-90. Prior to the crash, it was rated in fair condition. It is used by approximately 125 vehicles a day, on average.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Saxon Daugherty, sadaughert@pa.gov or 814-678-7095
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