Update 2: On Thursday, March 6, Strathcona County RCMP announced that the proprietor and operator of the tractor-trailer involved have been charged. The driver received five citations under the Commercial Vehicle Safety Regulation, necessitating a court appearance.
The Edmonton Police Service Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit has issued 13 citations to the driver, amounting to nearly $25,000, for violations of both the Commercial Vehicle Safety Regulation and the Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation. The vehicle’s owning company also received nine tickets totaling over $13,000. Additionally, the driver was charged with causing damage to the roadway, which includes a summons for court and a possible fine corresponding to the repair expenses for the damaged infrastructure.
Update 1: On Wednesday, March 5, Strathcona County RCMP reported that traffic on 34th Street and the westbound lanes of the Sherwood Park Freeway have reopened. However, the speed limit on 34th Street has been reduced to 30 km/h.
A sizeable piece of logging machinery transported on a tractor-trailer collided with the 34th Street overpass on the Sherwood Park Freeway late on Monday, causing significant traffic disruptions during Tuesday’s morning commute. By Tuesday morning, both northbound and southbound lanes of the overpass were closed, with westbound traffic on the Sherwood Park Freeway being redirected using access ramps to 34th Street. The eastbound lanes of the freeway remained unaffected, although police advised drivers to avoid the area.
Investigators were present at the scene evaluating the extent of the overpass damage. In a news statement on Tuesday morning, Strathcona County RCMP announced that the incident inflicted “extensive damage” to the overpass. A later update indicated that the overpass will “remain closed indefinitely,” with an engineer from Volker Stevin on site to assess the damage.
Images from the scene depict concrete and rebar damage under the overpass deck, alongside countless small pieces of concrete scattered across the westbound lanes of the freeway. Investigators continued to assess the situation on Tuesday, and it remains uncertain when the affected lanes and the overpass might be reopened.
No injuries from the incident were reported.
