burning trailer carrying bales of hay came loose

Bizarre Interstate Fire

This article was posted Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 at 6:02 pm

A bizarre fire on Interstate 35 in Temple backed up traffic for miles late Tuesday afternoon.

It happened around 1:00 in Temple at the Midway exit.

Officials say a burning trailer carrying bales of hay came loose from a truck and stopped in the middle of the freeway.

The incident spawned several minor accidents. Crews blocked off the area so firefighters could put out the fire.

Firefighters aren’t sure how the fire started.

Route 66 bridge damaged, Loose Trailer From Pick Up

Note: If a loose trailer can cause this much damage... mind you... not from a 18 wheeler... but
from these UnRegulated Utility Trailers.. the one's that weigh just under 3,000 pounds then how do expect cars, houses and human beings to survive when you get hit with one of these?

Steve Logsdon of ODOT looks at damage to a steel truss bridge over the Verdigris River on Route 66 north of Catoosa. ODOT officials said the right hand lane of the bridge will be closed for several weeks.
PROGRESS PHOTO/Joy Hampton /
“The right lane southbound will be closed for several weeks,” said Kenna Mitchell of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. “A support beam was severed and other damage occurred.” By Joy Hampton
CLAREMORE DAILY PROGRESS

January 1, 2008 —

Southbound traffic on Route 66 between Verdigris and Catoosa will narrow to one lane over a steel truss bridge following an accident which severed a support beam earlier this week.

Tuesday afternoon a trailer got loose from a pickup and struck the steel truss bridge over the Verdigris River on SH 66 north of Catoosa according to Mitchell.

Southbound traffic along SH 66 was routed back to SH 266 while ODOT engineers inspected the damage. Following those inspections, one lane was reopened.

A speed limit of 45 mph will be strictly enforced along with a weight limit not to exceed 15 tons. Loads wider than 10 feet will not be allowed to cross the bridge.

Mitchell said ODOT has set up message boards in several places alerting motorists to the lane closure.