The Northwood Bridge spanned 56 feet over North Dakota’s Goose River — until Monday afternoon, when a 42-ton semi truck barreled over it.
Grand Forks County Sheriffs OfficeThe truck ’s proprietor , Shane C. Olson , said he ’s forgiven driver Michael Dodds and wo n’t be kindle him for the accident .
North Dakota ’s Northwood Bridge spanned 56 feet over the Goose River . The wood - board nosepiece was built in 1906 for $ 2,450 by the Fargo Bridge and Iron Co. , and has since won its lawful situation on the National Register of Historic Places . Unfortunately , a 42 - ton semitrailer truck just break it — big time .
harmonize to the MinneapolisStar Tribune , a trucker run a hefty encumbrance of beans merely adhered to his GPS ’s directions on Monday . The cargo onus of dried navy edible bean , in summation to the vehicle ’s overall weight , unfortunately , was too much to abide for the 113 - year - old nosepiece .
Grand Forks County Sheriffs OfficeThe truck’s owner, Shane C. Olson, said he’s forgiven driver Michael Dodds and won’t be firing him for the accident.
Shane C. Olson , who possess the fomite , articulate driver Michael Dodds “ had no dear reason to have been on that road . ”
He added that Dodds was n’t familiar with the area , which evoke he simply did n’t bed about the Northwood Bridge ’s cultural note value or its fragile , weight - restrictive nature .
Grand Forks County Sheriffs OfficeThe 113 - year - old bridge was on the National Register of Historic Places . Repairs , if the county tally to them , could cost as much as $ 1 million .
Grand Forks County Sheriffs OfficeThe 113-year-old bridge was on the National Register of Historic Places. Repairs, if the county agrees to them, could cost as much as $1 million.
Dodds is a born Minnesotan from Red Lake Falls , who simply entered his destination of Jamestown , North Dakota into his GPS “ and followed that to a fault , ” according to Olson . “ He ’s never been on that road before . ”
Repairing the bridge could cost as much as $ 1 million . As for Dodds , his empathic foreman allege he ’s forgive his driver and wo n’t discharge him for making a misapprehension . The Sheriff ’s Office did confirm , however , that a 14 - ton weight limit warning was in spades display on the bridgework .
“ social system like the Northwood Bridge are more than just quaint souvenir ; they ’re among the most important continue historic watershed from North Dakota ’s homestead area , ” said historian Mark Hufstetler , who made the National Registry of Historic Places nomination .
National Register of Historic PlacesThe truck owner said it wasn’t the weight that caused the collapse, but rather an abutment from the bridge getting stuck to the truck’s trailer.
“ The bridge are also marvels of engineering — intricate and lightweight construction that have endured for more than a one C with very small maintenance . ”
Unfortunately , Hufstetler explain that the number of historical truss bridges like the Northwood Bridge has been shrinking over the years . It seems the primary grounds is indeed careless number one wood such as Dodds who simply have no idea what sort of dyad they ’re pass over .
“ This is far from the first time a negligent driver of an heavy fomite has demolish an old truss bridge , ” he said . “ It seems really outrageous that someone would run a risk both their personal holding and their community of interests ’s inheritance in this way , just for the interest of save a few minutes of travel time . ”
National Register of Historic PlacesIt’s not guaranteed that the historic landmark will get repaired or replaced yet.
National Register of Historic PlacesThe motortruck owner say it was n’t the weight that caused the collapse , but rather an abutment from the nosepiece draw stuck to the motortruck ’s trailer .
Olson fence that even though the truck was heavier “ than what the span was weighted for , ” in his view , the veridical cause for the collapse was that Dodds did n’t enter directly onto the bridgework and thus “ fray the side of the trailer against the social system of the bridgework . ”
Local Sheriff Andy Schneider seems to guess that the trucking fellowship is essay to fend off culpableness . “ It sounds like something he ’s go for to consider to be genuine , ” he said .
National Register of Historic PlacesIt ’s not guarantee that the historic landmark will get repaired or replace yet .
Ultimately , 58 - class - old Dodds was pass on an $ 11,400 overload citation for the incident . The county - owned bridge is presently debating repairs , with the cost likely to fall somewhere between the $ 800,000 and $ 1 million mark . Olson tell that , should he be establish financially responsible for for the fiasco , his policy would cover the toll .
The Northwood is n’t the only nosepiece in pauperism of repair . Nearly 11 percent of bridgesin North Dakota are structurally deficient — as are 23 percent in Rhode Island , 20 percent in West Virginia , and many more . But the government has been slower and slow in fix them .
According to an April paper from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association , even New York ’s Brooklyn Bridge and San Francisco ’s Mateo - Hayward Bridge are formally insufficient . It ’ll take an estimated 80 years to repair every bridge in the nation that take furbish up .
As for the Northwood Bridge incident , it ’s surely a shame that this historical landmark was irrevocably damage . Fortunately , however , nobody involve was smart , and the repairs being considered would shore it back up for good . In the ending , this renew attention might really allow it to last even longer than 113 year .
After interpret about the punishing dome - hauling truck causing a historical 113 - class - old span to crumple , instruct aboutthe Brinks truck that spilled cash all over an Indiana highwayand determine the great unwashed oppose precisely as you ’d think they would . Then , read aboutthe charwoman who fell off a bridge while taking a selfie .
