A tractor-trailer that overturned on the Tarentum Bridge early Monday afternoon dropped part of its load off the bridge onto Norfolk Southern railroad tracks below.
The crash happened just before 1 p.m., according to an Allegheny County emergency dispatcher. It was just before the First Avenue exit ramp off the bridge. The ramp is often used by big-rig drivers heading to the ATI steel mill in Harrison.
Authorities briefly closed the bridge headed toward New Kensington while crews removed the truck and assessed damage to the bridge. Traffic was restored shortly after 4:30 p.m.
“There was minor damage to the concrete parapet,” PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said.
The tractor-trailer was hauling scrap metal. A portion of the trailer was hanging over the bridge after the crash. Two trucks with lifting equipment were below the bridge, removing material that fell onto the train tracks.
Norfolk Southern spokeswoman Rachel McDonnell Bradshaw said two railroad crews were working to help clear the tracks. She said the tracks were expected to resume operations at 4:30 p.m.
Tarentum police Chief Bill Vakulick said the truck’s driver wasn’t injured. The man is facing charges of careless driving and speeding.
The driver, who works for an Aliquippa company, was hauling scrap metal to the Harrison melt shop for ATI Flat Roll, confirmed Natalie Gillespie, an ATI spokeswoman.
The 1,800-foot-long Tarentum Bridge is used by about 30,000 vehicles a day, according to PennDOT.
