Trucking company to pay cost of moving oversized load
By Vicky Wedig
Editor
An oversized, overweight semi that was stuck on Highway 12 for eight days was moved without damaging bridges, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The semi-truck and trailer carrying mining equipment was on its way from Milwaukee to Minnesota on Dec. 11 when it deviated from its permitted route, said Brian DeNeve, DOT spokesman.
He said over-sized, overweight loads require permitting from the counties in which they will travel. The roads and bridges the semi found itself on were not designed to handle the size and weight of the truck and load.
The truck travelled south on Highway 120 in Walworth County then entered the westbound lane of Highway 12, DeNeve said. Because of low bridges on Highway 12 east and west of the truck, it couldn’t go under Highway 12 at Highway 120, and because of its load, it couldn’t go back over the posted bridge on Highway 120. The driver parked in the acceleration lane of the on-ramp from Highway 120 to Highway 12, DeNeve said.
A temporary “jump bridge” had to be constructed over the existing bridge to help redistribute the weight. The earliest that operation could happen was Dec 19, DeNeve.
The DOT’s preliminary bridge inspections indicate that no bridges were damaged including where the truck came from – Highway 36 on the Burlington bypass.
On Dec 19, Highway 120 between highways 12 and 36 was closed from morning to afternoon. Northbound Highway 12 was closed for about an hour beginning at 10 a.m. near Highway 120 where the load was parked, DeNeve said. A marked detour route for Highway 120 involved Highway 12, Interstate 43 and Highway 11. The temporary bridge operation finished successfully, on schedule, DeNeve said.
He said the traffic control operation involved a strong partnership with Walworth County including its sheriff’s office and highway crews, which performed in an exceptional manner.
The Wisconsin State Patrol provided an escort for the truck’s movement through the rest of the state. The truck’s eventual destination was Mexico, just south of Arizona, with a new route heading into Iowa, DeNeve said. He said the cost of the patrol escort is being billed back to the trucking company as part of its new permit. The trucking company is being billed for the time and equipment involved in the operation.
