Too-tall load blamed for truck crash

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The truck that crashed into the Stassney Lane overpass on Interstate Highway 35 on Wednesday night was carrying too tall of a load for the route the driver was taking, the Texas Department of Transportation said Thursday.

The crash caused the overnight shutdown of part of the freeway.

The equipment being hauled by the rig was just high enough to hit the concrete of the bridge overhead as it drove beneath it, TxDOT said.

Officials said the driver had the proper permit issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles for the load. However, they said, it is a driver's responsibility to make sure a truck will be able to clear any overpasses on the planned route.

"When they get a permitted load they should already know what the lowest bridge on their route is" said John Hurt of Texas Department of Transportation.

Experts called in to assess the damage say repairs could cost as much as $200,000, officials said .

The trucking company will have to pick up the tab, and repairs could take up to a month.

Southbound lanes of I-35 at Stassney Lane opened early Thursday after the rig ran into the overpass Wednesday night, shutting down half the highway for seven hours.

One westbound lane of Stassney Lane will remain closed for safety until further notice.

All traffic going southbound was detoured onto the frontage road. The overpass was closed so TxDOT crews could inspect the damage to determine whether or not the bridge was safe for traffic.

On Thursday, officials said the bridge is secure and that there was minor concrete damage.

Since 1995, there have been six accidents of a similar nature.

The southbound lanes were opened around 4 a.m.