The I-40 bridge in eastern Oklahoma, which crashed into the Arkansas River in late May after being hit by a barge, has been rebuilt in barely over two months
— far less than the six months originally predicted.
The I-40 bridge, which spans the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Okla., was struck on the morning of May 26 by a barge that veered several hundred feet from the river's navigational channel. The impact caused the collapse of four spans of the bridge, killing 14 people. Since then, as many as 17,000 cars and trucks have been rerouted each day on two-lane highways through Webbers Falls and other small towns.
The bridge was reopened to traffic Monday. The roadway is reopening 10 days ahead of the Aug. 8 deadline set by the project's contractor, which will earn $1.5 million in bonuses for completing the project early.
U.S. Department of Transportation officials praised the efforts of the public and private sectors in expediting the bride’s repair. By reopening the bridge in just more than two months after the May 26 disaster, Oklahoma DOT set a record for a project of this size and magnitude.