HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) - It will be until fall, or perhaps next spring, before a bridge carrying southbound US-31 traffic over Washington Avenue in Holland will be fully repaired.
State bridge inspectors and engineers looked over the damage caused when a truck’s unlocked hydraulic lift rose and smashed into two steel beams. While they said that the span is still structurally sound and poses no danger for motorists, a shortage of steel will mean at least a four-month wait until repairs are made, with the possibility that the fix won’t be completed until next June.
The unnamed truck driver involved has been ticketed, and state transportation department officials say that his employer, along with its insurance carrier, will be charged for the 400 thousand dollar-plus cost of repairs. Washington Avenue will be closed from 8 AM to 12 Noon today underneath the bridge for more inspections.