Babb’s Bridge is closed to traffic for “at least several months,” the Maine Department of Transportation said after a dump truck collapsed through the bridge deck on Aug. 23.
According to a MaineDOT news release, the posted weight limit on Babb’s Bridge is three tons. Law enforcement officials said the dump truck that fell through the bridge substantially exceeded that weight limit due to it being filled with crushed gravel.
WMTW-TV in Portland, Maine reported the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries. The Driveway Guys, the company that owned the truck, was issued a $2,500 weight violation summons.
The truck fell through the first panel of the bridge deck and into the Presumpscot River below, local police said.
Babb’s Covered Bridge, an exact replica of the oldest covered bridge in the state of Maine, will be closed for months, officials say. A drone video shows the damage. | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/4mDNZzfPiH
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Babb’s Bridge, a covered bridge between Gorham, Maine and Windham, Maine west of state Route 202, carries traffic on Covered Bridge Road over the Presumpscot River. This single-lane bridge was rebuilt as an exact replica of the original bridge. The replacement bridge opened in 1976.
Inspections of the Babb’s Bridge are conducted at least every two years. MaineDOT said the most-recent inspection took place at the end of July. The current weight limit of three tons was first posted in 1983.
The latest information from MaineDOT said bridge engineers were scheduled to inspect the structure and issue a final determination on the extent of the damage. LL
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