Semi truck collides with bridge under construction on I-215 in California; causes falsework to collapse

Updated Jul 21, 2014

A semi truck hauling sand hit a bridge currently under construction on Interstate 215 in Perris, California, earlier this week causing lumber and steel beams to collapse onto the freeway.

Thankfully, construction crews were not scheduled to work on the bridge until later in the day so no workers were harmed in the accident, according to a report from The Press-Enterprise. The driver of the truck is not believed to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the crash occurred and was not injured.

The accident closed the northbound lane of I-215 for one day as crews worked to remove the debris from the roadway between late Monday night and early Wednesday morning.

The driver lost control and struck a concrete divider along the shoulder. A portion of the truck dragged along the barrier, striking the temporary supports of the bridge which caused a partial collapse of the falsework, Officer Travis Monks, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol told the Press-Enterprise.

The trailer of  sand tipped over, spilling its load across the roadway. Although the falsework will have to be reconstructed, it is not expected to delay the completion of the bridge.

This isn’t the first bridge construction accident in California involving collapsed falsework this year. Back in May, a fire sparked by a blowtorch ignited falsework at a bridge under construction in Hesperia that closed an entire section of Interstate 15 for nearly two days.

Editor’s Note: Brian Ethridge is the online managing editor for sister sites Better Roads and Aggregates Manager.