- Tuesday January 10th, 2017 :: 04:02 p.m. EST
(Name Correction) Mobile Car Crusher Crushes Bridge; Injures One & Snarls Rush Hour Traffic on Indy’s West Side
This is an updated release with the correct spelling of the injured person's name. The original release incorrectly spelled the last name as Haraburds. The correct spelling is: Haraburda
Indianapolis, IN – At 8:06 this morning the Indiana State Police were called to the scene of a major crash that closed all northbound lanes of I-465 at US 36 / Rockville Road on the west side of Indianapolis.
Preliminary investigation has determined there were a total of six vehicles involved in the crash; one semi-truck and trailer with a mobile car crusher on the trailer bed, a utility vehicle and four passenger cars.
Based on descriptions from witnesses and investigation at the scene, it has been determined the semi-truck, operated by Twins Trucking of Indianapolis, was northbound on I-465 approaching the US 36 / Rockville Road overpass when, for reasons yet to be determined, the hydraulic piston/arm of the mobile car crusher extended upward while the semi-truck was in motion at highway speed. This resulted in the car crusher striking the overpass support beams of the US 36 / Rockville Road bridge over I-465. The force of the impact caused the trailer to separate from the tractor and at least four beams of the bridge were impacted and resulted in significant damage. The east bound driving lanes of the Rockville Road bridge over the interstate were also severely damaged the result of this crash.
Hundreds of pieces of concrete, from baseball to basketball size and larger, fell from the damaged support beams onto northbound traffic that was traveling under the bridge at the time of the crash. This resulted in five other vehicles being struck and damaged from the falling debris. One piece of concrete fell through the windshield of a northbound car being driven by Christine Haraburda, 28 of Indianapolis. This resulted in non-life threatening upper body injuries and after being treated by personnel from the Wayne Township Fire department she was transported to Eskenazi Hospital for further treatment.
As a result of this crash it was necessary to close northbound I-465 at I-70 on the west side of Indianapolis. Also closed were the northbound on ramps from Washington / US 40 and the northbound on ramp to I-465 from Rockville Road. It took just over three hours to clear traffic off of I-465 that was between I-70 and the crash scene.
The Indiana State Police were assisted at this scene by members of the Wayne Township Fire Department, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Indiana Department of Transportation.
In order, the attached photos depict 1) wreckage from the mobile car crusher along with debris from the bridge; 2) Impact damage to the bridge beams; 3) More damage to bridge beams; and 4) damage to the eastbound driving lane of the Rockville Bridge over I-465.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) had personnel on the scene in less than an hour to begin assessment of the damage and start planning for repairs and temporary detours. Below is a copy of the news release issued by INDOT shortly after 2:00 p.m. today:
Crews Working to Safely Reopen I-465 North, U.S. 36/Rockville Road After Truck Damages BridgeIndiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) bridge engineers have completed inspection of the U.S. 36/Rockville Road bridge over northbound Interstate 465. Both roadways remain closed after the bridge was struck by a large truck carrying equipment at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Northbound I-465 is estimated to remain closed for several days. U.S. 36 / Rockville Road will remain closed until further notice. Southbound I-465 remains open to traffic. INDOT will provide updates on both closures as clean-up and repairs are underway and timelines can be more accurately projected. Closure and detours Northbound I-465 is estimated to remain closed for several days between I-70 and 10th Street. Traffic is being detoured at Interstate 70 (Exit 9) on the west side of Indianapolis. All traffic must exit to either eastbound or westbound Interstate 70 at Exit 9. Access to northbound I-465 from I-70, U.S. 40/West Washington Street and Sam Jones Parkway is also closed. U.S. 36/Rockville Road remains closed leading to the bridge over I-465. Through traffic on Rockville Road is currently being diverted, and motorists and pedestrians should seek their best alternate routes across I-465. U.S. 36/Rockville Road ramps entering and exiting I-465 southbound west of the bridge remain open. East of the bridge, the eastbound U.S. 36/Rockville Road ramp to I-465 northbound ramps is closed. During these closures and repairs, traffic will be significantly affected, especially during peak morning and evening traffic periods. Traffic that is displaced is expected to increase congestion on other routes, including I-465 on the east side and I-65 and I-70. INDOT is displaying messages on its dynamic message signs to help route interstate traffic around the closure. Other west-side I-465 interchanges and routes into and out of Indianapolis are also expected to see increased traffic, including I-74, U.S. 136/Crawfordsville Road, 10th Street, U.S. 40/West Washington Street, Sam Jones Expressway, as well as north-south roads connecting to these corridors. INDOT is monitoring traffic flow and make temporary improvements as appropriate, including traffic signal adjustments and additional signage. Damage and repairs INDOT engineers have assessed the bridge damage and are mobilizing repairs, which will take time. Safety is the top priority, and both northbound I-465 and U.S. 36 / Rockville Road will not open to traffic until it is safe to do so. Four of about 14 load-bearing girders over I-465 northbound are heavily damaged by the collision and will need to be removed. Crews will be working to accomplish this removal as safely and as quickly as possible in the upcoming days. After damaged portions are separated from the bridge using concrete saws, crews will work to open limited access across the north side of the bridge as soon as it is safely possible. Northbound I-465 will need to remain closed while the steel-reinforced concrete beams overhead are removed and all debris are cleaned so as not to present a danger to motorists. Replacing these beams will require longer-term repairs similar to construction of a new bridge deck. INDOT continues to assess the replacement and will provide more precise timelines in the near future as work to remove the damaged bridge beams gets underway. INDOT appreciates the assistance of all agencies involved and the patience of everyone affected by the situation as crews work to restore safety and mobility in the area. Stay informed Motorists can learn about highway work zones and other traffic alerts at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Subscribe to receive text and email alerts about INDOT projects at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDOT/subscriber/new. Follow INDOT East Central on Facebook and Twitter. Find links to INDOT social media pages at http://www.in.gov/indot/3074.htm. |
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| Customer Service INDOT East Central District Office 32 South Broadway Greenfield, IN 46140 1-855-463-6848 [email protected] Media Contact Nathan Riggs 317-467-3479 office 317-771-0520 mobile [email protected] |
Address/Location
Indiana State Police-Indianapolis District 52-Indianapolis, IN
8620 East 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 317-899-8577
