For the second time in a little over a month, a bridge in Adair County has been hit by a truck, causing traffic to be rerouted. The Iowa Department of Transportation reports the westbound Interstate 80 bridge near Casey was damaged when it was struck by a truck hauling an excavator. The accident took place at around 8:30-p.m., Monday, between exits 83 and 96. DOT Transportation Planning Director Scott Suhr, based in Atlantic, told KJAN News the accident happened as the truck was traveling south Antique Country Drive, south of Casey. He says he’s not sure if the truck was oversize or if the load was at the wrong height. Either way, he says “It did some damage.”

The same bridge was hit in nearly the same location, last month. Suhr said when the north end was hit on March 4^th by a dump truck, one of the concrete beams was damaged. This time, about three or four beams were damaged. The result of the most recent accident, is that traffic is being rerouted using the entrance and exit ramps at Casey. Bridge Inspectors from Ames were expected to take a look at the damage and assess the structural safety of the crossing this morning. Meanwhile, the bridge remains closed until it is deemed safe for traffic.

The accident that occurred during the early morning hours on March 4^th, happened when 62-year old Duane Nelson, of Casey, forgot to lower the box on a 1991 Mack dump truck registered to Schildberg Construction, in Greenfield. As the vehicle was traveling southbound on Antique Country Drive, south of Casey, the truck box hit the westbound I-80 bridge support beam. The impact tore the box section off of the truck, but it became wedged against the support beam at the point of impact.

The Patrol cited Nelson for driving a vehicle with excessive height.