'Significant' Delays Persist After Truck Hits Overpass On I-87

EDITOR'S NOTE — The truck was carrying a large steel tower.

UPDATE — New York State Thruway officials said all lanes were open by 7 p.m.

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Delays persisted into the evening commute after a truck carrying large pipes on the New York State Thruway struck and damaged the South Broadway overpass at 6:45 a.m. Thursday morning.

Three lanes on the southbound thruway were closed. The South Broadway bridge was also closed to traffic.

State police said at 4 p.m. that the delay on the southbound side was 12 miles long and expected to increase as crews worked to repair the bridge.

Two of the bridge’s eight girders were badly damaged. The truck also hit an old digital lane control sign.

Motorists said the damage was visible high up on the blackened side of the overpass as they crawled by.

The bridge was built in 1953 and is 230 feet long.

Thruway bridge inspectors immediately responded to the scene. Crews began making temporary repairs and evaluating permanent repairs.

Lanes on the Thruway and on the overpass will remain closed as needed to facilitate repairs and for the safety of workers and the traveling public.

New York State Thruway officials said the maximum allowable height on the Thruway is 13 feet 6 inches. The Thruway Authority will pursue recovery of all damages suffered as a result of the bridge hit, they said.