Repairs to a damaged I-44 bridge were to be finished this week after a second major incident involving a truck with an over-height load struck an Oklahoma Turnpike Authority bridge on the Will Rogers Turnpike.
According to the Highway Patrol, seven of the bridge’s 8 support beams were damaged in the weekend incident.
“Somebody called and reported the truck and trailer and gave us the trailer tag number so we could find the owner,” said State Trooper Dylan New, who conducts Commercial Vehicle checks as part of his job, reported KOTV 6 News in Tulsa. “They probably did not do it on purpose; they probably did not measure before they went because trucks go under the bridge all the time and usually no one ever strikes that bridge.”
The truck was loaded with a large excavator and reportedly had an approved permit to carry the load through Oklahoma. At the time, the truck was traveling down US-60 highway.
“We felt the structure would have held. There are instances in which, if you knock a bridge beam hard enough, it could cause structural issues,” said Lisa Shearer-Salim with OTA. “We are lucky that was not the case this time. But there was enough concern and repairs needed to get right to work.”
In December 2025, a similar incident occurred on the same turnpike.
However, six county bridges above the turnpike were damaged by the illegally over-height commercial truck and four of the bridges were closed for inspection and repairs. The incident happened near Vinita.
The trucker’s load was estimated to be at least 16 feet in height which is two feet higher than state law allows. The trucker was caught and the load was placed “out of service” and the incident was turned over to federal regulators.
