THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2021 Page 9 Truck which damaged I-93 bridge overpass on July 19 was headed to Everett facility Authorities: Accident could have been avoided if driver stuck to permitted route of travel Local motorists among many dealing with effects; repairs could take over a year By Steve Freker A bridge crash which has already disrupted traffic for hundreds of thousands of drivers on Route I-93, this area's most heavily traveled interstate highway, could have been avoided, according to state authorities. Had the Alabama-based driver stuck to the prescribed route – which did not include any travel on I-93 – there would have been no crash at the Roosevelt Circle, Medford, overpass bridge by the tractor trailer towing the over-height load to a final destination on Rt. 99 in Everett. The tractor trailer was hauling according to Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver in an online report. MassDOT officials said last week it intends to hold the trucking company, Dove Transportation, legally and financially responsible and would be reviewing the company’s eligibility for obtaining future permits in Massachusetts. According to Gulliver, MassDOT is working with insurance and bonding companies “to ensure that they recover the funds associated with doing the full repair of that crash.” Crews worked throughout last week and into this week to make emergency repairs to the bridge An over-height tractor trailer hauling a wastewater cylinder to a destination in Everett did not have a permit to travel on Route I-93 when it crashed into an overpass at Roosevelt Circle in Medford, causing heavy damage. (Courtesy Photo) a massive water clarifying tank, which is similar to those used in wastewater treatment, to Everett when it struck and severely damaged a major steel beam underneath the underpass, which has a passage of 14 feet in height from the highway. It was later determined that the load being towed by the truck was over height at 14 feet, 9 inches and was not even supposed to be traveling on Route I-93. The truck was permitted for a maximum height of 14 feet. According to authorities, the driver of the truck, which is owned by Dove Transportation of Alabama, was cited by Mass. State Police for two civil offenses, being over height and violating the permit issued by the Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Each offense has a fine of $105 for a projected total fine of $210. It could take up to a year and around $1 million to fully repair the Medford bridge underpass, overpass in an effort to mitigate traffic impacts along the major interstate highway. But Massachusetts transportation officials and local officials are concerned about the long-term effects on traffic in the region, as lane and exit restrictions and closures on Rt. I-93 – associated with an extended repair timetable – could cause a “ripple effect” to other connected routes and roads. With traffic already forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels of high congestion after Labor Day when more workers are expected to return to in-person settings and schools reopen fully, this could result in even greater impacts. State transportation officials and local city officials in Malden, Everett, Revere, Medford and Somerville have told drivers to expect delays rippled out from the site of the crash for many months, well into BRIDGE CRASH | SEE PAGE 25
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