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SALT LAKE CITY -- A semi-truck carrying an oversized load snarled traffic on Saturday when the driver drove under the 800 North bridge but didn't quite make it. The driver's big load became stuck underneath the overpass, all because the driver veered off the assigned route.
All oversized loads are assigned a specific route to follow, specifically to avoid what happened Saturday.
Cameron Roden, with the Utah Highway Patrol, said, "Sometimes these loads are just too tall and they're not able to fit under some of these structures, and that's why they are routed."
The UHP says the driver was supposed to take I-80 to I-215 until it connects to I-15 in Davis County.
"Instead of following that route, he followed 215 to I-15 down into Murray area and entered I-15 northbound from that point," he said.
The Motor Carrier Division assigns routes and permits for oversized loads. Any load taller than 14 feet is considered too big and gets a special route.
Rick Clasby, director of the Motor Carrier Division, said, "The purpose behind routing an oversized load is to avoid structures, and if they don't follow the route, then yes, the potential is that they would run into a structure that is lower than the actual load height."
When drivers carrying oversized loads don't follow their assigned route, it's a misdemeanor and a violation of their permit. UHP says the driver in Saturday's wreck was cited and will likely have to pay a fine.
"We routed the load correctly. Had he stayed on the route, there wouldn't have been a problem," Clasby said.
The bridge was damaged and closed over the weekend. UDOT says it will open by midday Tuesday.
E-mail: aforester@ksl.com
