Michigan Department of Transportation crews have been working on repairs for the 146th Avenue bridge over the U.S.-131 expressway in the wake of a semi-truck crashing into it.
MDOT officials said the semi-truck’s load was too tall to safely pass under the overpass.
But authorities and the public have noted there have been more than just a few such incidents resulting in shutting down the freeway. State law insists that semis must be able to clear bridges as low as 13 feet, six inches.
But semis that do not comply can apply for a permit in which they have to put the dimensions of their load in the software program that MDOT has and then they determine the best route, according to Michigan State Police Sgt. Paul Leonard noted.
He said that most recently a semi sideswiped a minivan north of Plainwell, pushing it into a cable barrier. No one was injured and the driver pulled over farther up the road and called in the accident
Commercial vehicle enforcement most commonly known today, however, occurred when a semi-truck driver hit the 146th Street bridge across US-131 in Dorr Township. It isn’t known yet when the overpass will reopen.
He said the crash with the minivan could have been worse and fortunately, the cable barrier kept the van from hitting traffic in the southbound lane.
