SARASOTA – The Proctor Road overpass damaged after an excavator hit the west shoulder block is open to drivers but will be needing repairs.
The Florida Highway Patrol reports a dump truck carrying an excavator struck the overpass Wednesday afternoon shutting down southbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 206 as well as other county roads. State Trooper Kenn Watson says the integrity of the bridge was not damaged and the overpass is safe for drivers to travel on.
“Any construction that you see is going to be just fixing the area that was initially struck but as far as the viability of the bridge, the integrity of the bridge it is all passed and the engineers feel confident that the structure is now completely intact and we have nothing to worry about,“ said Trooper Watson.
A spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation reports repairs to the bridge will be completed with the next week and a half. Drivers should expect nightly lane closures so they’re advised to use caution in the area.