BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A truck hauling an excavator damaged an overpass over Interstate 95 in Brevard County during morning rush hour Friday, shutting down the northbound lanes for most of the day.
- Truck hauling 2 excavators hit SR 528 overpass at I-95
- I-95 northbound lanes officially open again, says FDOT
- Crews working to use exit lane to allow traffic through
- Get more traffic updates with the Road Report
Florida Department of Transportation officials opened a temporary through lane for northbound traffic to pass under the State Road 528 overpass at about 5 p.m. Around 9 p.m., the northbound lanes were officially open again.
Earlier, just before 9 a.m., Terrence Williams was driving a 2005 semitrailer truck hauling two excavators on I-95 northbound when one of the excavators struck the overpass at northbound S.R. 528, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.
It caused debris to fall onto the interstate.
The northbound lanes of I-95 at the overpass were shut down because of the damage to the bridge.
Traffic was being diverted to State Road 524.
"What do I do now?" asked John Kenton, a snowbird heading home to Virginia, who was sitting amid a sea of red tail lights on the S.R. 524 on-ramp.
He and his wife were unaware of the traffic tieups until they got stuck.
"It's life," Kenton said. "Sometimes, you have to make the detours."
Sherri Hinkley of Cocoa, who was running an important errand for her 99-year-old mother, was shocked at the traffic.
"Holy cow, nothing but bumper to bumper," she said.
She found herself in a pinch and surrounded by traffic jams.
When she found out about the overpass collision, she said, "He needs to watch where he's going I guess (laughs)."
All I-95 southbound lanes just south of S.R. 528 reopened just before 1 p.m.
On S.R. 528, also called the Beachline Expressway, one of three eastbound lanes was open Friday afternoon. All westbound lanes remained open.
FDOT said Friday afternoon that crews were converting an exit lane into a temporary single through lane on northbound I-95. The lane allows drivers to exit onto eastbound S.R. 528, though motorists on eastbound S.R. 528 won't be able to exit onto northbound I-95, FDOT said.
Officials urged drivers to drive slowly in the temporary through lane.
Williams, a 41-year-old Miami resident, was not hurt. He was ticketed for not making sure his load was too high, FHP said.