INDOT: I-465 north lanes reopen after bridge crash
12:47 PM UPDATE: Northbound lanes of I-465 are reopened after truck accident damaged the Rockville Road bridge, INDOT announced Wednesday.
Nearly four miles of the interstate were closed Tuesday after a truck hauling a car crusher demolished bridge beams. The road was closed while contractors cleared away the rubble.
It will take months for the Rockville Road/U.S. 36 bridge to be repaired, INDOT said. The transportation agency said it would "recover" all costs from the wreck and repairs.
Two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane remain open for local U.S. 36/Rockville Road access across the I-465 bridge. In addition, the ramp to I-465 northbound will remain closed.
EARLIER: The northbound lanes of I-465 at Rockville Road could reopen Wednesday after they were shut down when a truck carrying heavy equipment struck and damaged an overpass Tuesday, an Indiana transportation official said.
"There's still a lot of work to do but at the rate that they've made progress overnight, they are cautiously optimistic that we will open north bound 465 to traffic today," Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Nathan Riggs said.
Rockville Road is still not safe for traffic and will remain closed, Riggs said.
The damage happened shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday when a Twins Trucking semi carrying equipment used to crush cars struck the bridges. The car crusher malfunctioned and raised high on the truck bed. It struck the overpass, dislodging concrete from the overpass and destroying four girders.
The impact separated the tractor from the trailer. A half dozen vehicles were damaged and one woman was injured when concrete smashed through her windshield.
Crews working overnight through rain and cold had removed the damaged girders by Wednesday morning, Riggs said.
There's still a mess on the highway, Riggs said, noting crews will bring trucks to haul away concrete and other debris.
When the cleanup is finished, Riggs said engineers will make a decision on opening the highway.
The shoulders will remain closed, but Riggs said all north bound lanes could reopen.
IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack contributed to this story.
Call IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @vicryc.
