Driver backs 4 1/4 miles

Yeah, I'm familiar with that bridge and section of road. He never should have been routed that way. The smart thing would have been to pull off at a rest area and wait for the inspection crew on the I-64 bridge to finish up.
That New Harmony bridge sways under car traffic... 98 tons would have sent it into the river.
And that section of road... My husband and I broke down in our pickup truck on that stretch and couldn't find anyplace to pull off. I can't even imagine trying to turn around a big rig, much less an oversize load.

 

I too am very familiar with that stretch of highway. I've lived in the area off and on since 1990. I used to cross that bridge every day back when I was 18 as I worked in New Harmony at the fancy smancy restaurant that's there. It was in sad shape back then and cars still had to pay a 50 cent toll.

This driver absolutely had no other alternative. In fact, I'm surprised he was able to turn around in Phillipstown.

Maybe someone with heavy haul experience could explain to me why the driver was issued tickets and why they could be in excess of $30,000. Would it be for being on a road he wasn't permitted for or something else?

 

You got it! Off route, overloaded, over height and over width. Not to mention the fact that he had to call the state out to block off traffic.

 

I wonder if the company is going to offer to pay part of it. As they did advise him on how to get around...I doubt it.

 

I thought that routing was done well in advance and updated as often as possible for OD loads.

Heck, I coulda told him that the bridge on I-64 was down to one lane in both directions during the daytime right now. I'm not sure where he came from, or if he could have got permits for it, but he might have been better off taking US50 over to Vincennes, IN and down US 41, back to I-64.

 

A part of the life, I missed a turn in Georgia and ended up on a road that turned into a couple of ruts through the pine needles. I had to back out several miles to find a place to turn around. It didn't take long because I was empty and I used high range reverse.

 

I'd like to know, too. I just looked at my atlas and there's nothing to indicate the road he was on is restricted in any way. It's a legal truck route according to the map, and there's nothing listed in the front regarding any restrictions.

 

Make a note in your map to avoid that road and bridge like the plague.

Several years ago (around 5 or 6) they stopped allowing trucks on that bridge. There's been all kinds of controversy regarding the renovations of that bridge. The state of Illinois has been collecting tolls on it since the bridge was opened back in the 1940s, but they want Indiana to pony up some cash towards repairing the bridge. I think they need to just tear it down and build a new one. Illinois has made more than enough revenue from that bridge over the past 60+ years to cover the costs of building a new one. Of course, we're talking about the corrupt state of Illinois here.

 

I feel for that Driver having to back up that far and all the nasty fines.