What’s in store for I-15 overpass near Blackfoot damaged in milk tanker crash
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BLACKFOOT — A week after a milk tanker drove off Interstate 15, striking the Riverton Road overpass, the Idaho Transportation Department has stabilized the structure and is planning more permanent repairs.
In the evening of Oct. 30, Idaho State Police responded to a crash near milepost 92 in Bingham County involving an empty milk tanker colliding with a bridge pillar.
“The structural integrity of the Riverton overpass was compromised during the collision and will be closed to all traffic,” ISP said in a news release.
ITD Public Information Officer Justin Smith told EastIdahoNews.com that there are no plans to tear down the bridge at the moment.
“Right now, we have two temporary piers set up to stabilize the bridge and keep it safe for the traveling public,” Smith said.
Due to the impact of the tanker, Smith said one of the support piers was destroyed, and the top portion is cracked and broken in some areas.
Access to the overpass has been closed, and traffic on the interstate has been adjusted to accommodate the ongoing work.
Traffic heading north has both lanes open, but southbound traffic has been reduced to one lane.
The overpass is expected to be closed until spring.
“Plan right now is to replace the piers in the spring and see if we can’t get that bridge back open, but that’s still really tentative,” Smith said.
Tearing the bridge down is a possibility, and Smith said it was scheduled to be replaced as part of the Interstate 15 widening project. However, the funds haven’t been set aside for it.
Until then, Smith recommends using 511 to stay up to date on any change in the traffic pattern on I-15. Smith asks the community to be cautious on the roads and to pay attention when entering construction zones.
Idaho State Police Lt. Todd Orr said the driver of the tanker, a 46-year-old man, was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. There haven’t been any updates to his condition since the crash.
In August, a different overpass near Blackfoot was struck after two semi-trucks hauling bulldozers clipped the top portion, resulting in its closure. That bridge has reopened with a temporary traffic light as it’s down to one lane, according to the ITD.
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