Concrete Bridge Railing Collapse Likely Caused by Vehicle Impact, DOT Says

A concrete railing fell from a bridge onto the roadway below in Chattanooga, Tenn., April 1, 2019. Chattanooga Fire Department via CNN

The collapse of a concrete beam from a bridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee was likely caused when a vehicle carrying an oversized load hit the bottom of the bridge, an official from Tennessee Department of Transportation said Tuesday, April 2.

The vehicle went under the bridge and sliced through some of the steel reinforcement strands in the exterior beam, Paul Degges, the department’s chief engineer, told reporters. A concrete rail helped support the damaged beam but ultimately it collapsed, he said.