A terrifying experience for a transport truck driver on the Mackinac Bridge.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority reports the wild winds experienced in our area Thursday evening nearly blew a transport truck over the side of the Bridge.
Fortunately, the truck came to rest on its side on the Bridge railing.
The Bridge was closed to all traffic from 9:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.
The truck was towed away.
No one was injured, with no structural damage reported to the Bridge.
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NEWS RELEASE
July 19, 2013 -- A semi tractor-trailer tipped over on the Mackinac Bridge on Thursday evening, July 18, but the driver was uninjured and the bridge undamaged.
Shortly after 9 p.m., a fast-moving front swept through the Straits of Mackinac.
Winds at the Mackinac Bridge quickly went from over 20 mph (wind warning mode) to gusts up to 79 mph.
As bridge crews were dispatched to pick up construction barrels that had blown out of place from lane closures on the bridge, Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) personnel were notified that a semi had tipped over on its side on the bridge.
Crews located the semi and found no one was injured and there was no damage to the bridge (only railing paint was scratched).
Officials closed the bridge to traffic from about 9:15 p.m. to 12:40 a.m. to allow for the truck to be safely towed off of the bridge.
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