Jul 7, 2008 8:01 pm US/Central
Truck Damages Stillwater Lift Bridge, Now Reopen
STILLWATER, Minn. (WCCO) ―
The lift bridge in Stillwater, Minn. was closed for several hours on Monday after a boom truck struck and damaged girders on the bridge.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the damage was wreaked after a semi with a boom struck the rafters of the bridge. Washington County authorities said the accident happened just before 2 p.m.
The St. Croix County Sheriff's Department said 70-year-old Elwyn Lee Juenke or Farmington, Minn. was driving the boom truck from Lambert's Construction.
They said Juenke has a valid commercial driver's license and that he could face some traffic violations for going past the clearance signs that are posted on both sides of the bridge.
Traffic inspectors from the Minnesota Department of Transportation will be on the scene Tuesday to analyze the bridge.
Cars and pickups are allowed back on but heavy truck traffic is not until that analysis is complete. Trucks are being detoured south to Interstate 94 at Hudson, Wisconsin.
Crews say some repair work will have to be done on the bridge but they say it is safe for motorists.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
