Oh, no! Not again! Busy Mississippi highway bridge struck, damaged just months after repairs made from previous accident.
Published 10:01 pm Tuesday, January 30, 2024
- The I-59 bridge over U. S. Hwy. 49 in Hattiesburg was damaged by a vehicle Tuesday, just months after opening after repairs from similar incident in 2023. Photo/Hattiesburg Police Department
For the second time in less than a year, the I-59 bridge over U. S. Highway 49 in Hattiesburg will be the scene of emergency repairs. A vehicle struck the bridge Tuesday morning.
“The left inside lanes on U.S. 49 Souh at I-59 in Forrest County are temporarily closed,” a statement from the Mississippi Department of Transportation reads. “The entrance ramp from U.S. 49 North to I-59 South in Forrest County is also closed until Thursday, February 29, while a bridge inspection is underway following a crash.”
At one point Tuesday, according to the Hattiesburg Police Department, southbound Hwy. 49 was completely closed for bridge inspection. As of the afternoon update, at least one lane of the highway has reopened.
The intersection fully opened to traffic just a few months ago after another tractor-trailer struck the bridge in April of 2023. The repairs for that incident caused interstate lanes to close, causing severe traffic bottlenecking ON I-59 South.
