ESTERO, FL- News-press.com reports that no structural damage was caused by a truck collision that caused impact to the supports of the Estero Parkway bridge, which crosses over I-75. The accident was caused when a tractor-trailer blew a tire and hit a lunch truck.
Both vehicles collided with the supports for the bridge leading to concerns that structural damage could have been caused to the bridge making it unsafe.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) investigated the site of the crash and determined that only superficial damage had been done. FDOT released a statement saying that they do not anticipate closures of either Estero Parkway or I-75 as a result of the accident.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, 63-year-old Percieval Morgan and the man driving the lunch truck, 37-year-old Nereida Rivera both suffered only minor injuries in the collision. They were transported to the hospital following the crash.
The collision is still under investigation.
The American Society Of Civil Engineers has stated that bridges in the United States only get a C+ and that one outof nine bridges in America is structurally deficient. Even with the mediocre rating of Bridges in the U.S., bridge collapses are typically caused by more than one problem. Accidents, including trucks colliding with bridge supports, are one of the potential causes for bridge collapses.
While bridges can withstand a lot of impact and damage, accidents can lead to structural issues that could make the bridge dangerous. For instance, many bridges can suffer serious damage and even collapse because of fire. This is exactly what happened in Atlanta one year ago when a fire caused a partial bridge collapse.
