Truck Damages Hunsecker Mill Bridge

WGN PA-36-05#2

 

Lancaster, Pa., Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - The Hunsecker Road Covered Bridge was closed for repairs after a tractor-trailer with a 53-foot box trailer passed through it Monday morning.

The bridge is rated for 3 tons with a roadway clearance of 13 feet, 10 inches. The tractor trailer weighs 12 tons empty with a height of 13 feet, 6 inches. The trailer apparently bounced up upon entry into the bridge breaking tie beams and tie rods overhead. The vehicle passed through at speed, according to what a witness living nearby heard.

The truck was hauling sand for Nexus Distribution Corp. of Itasca, Ill. Police are considering citing the driver for exceeding weight and size restrictions.

The 180-foot bridge, recently reopened after sewer pipes were installed at the site, spans the Conestoga River using a Burr Truss. It was built in 1975 as a replica replacement for the original bridge built in 1848.