Overpass suffers ‘extensive’ damage after being hit by truck

MEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Drivers are being told to avoid Interstate 93 southbound in Medford on Tuesday while crews repair an overpass that was hit by a truck.

The Roosevelt Circle overpass suffered “extensive” damage on Monday afternoon after an oversized truck struck the bottom of the bridge, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The driver of the tractor-trailer is now charged with two civil offenses: being overheight and violating the permit issued by the Department of Transportation. The driver now owes $210 in civil penalties.

The truck was carrying a water clarifying tank, according to Massachusetts State Police.

State Police say the truck was owned by Dove Transportation of Lincoln, Alabama. The truck was driven by a 57-year-old Alabama man, and a 54-year-old Alabama woman was a passenger. The man refused medical treatment at the scene, and the woman was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with possible minor injuries.

Two lanes of I-93 southbound were closed Tuesday while crews work on the overpass. A 7-foot section of the overpass and a beam that runs along it will need to be demolished as part of the repair, the transportation department said.

Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the work is expected to continue through Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday. He encouraged commuters to use other transportation including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail.