Excavator on trailer hits Whitemud Drive overpass — again

In a case of deja vu, the Whitemud Drive overpass at Anthony Henday Drive has been hit once again by an excavator being hauled by a tractor trailer.

It happened Thursday afternoon on the east side of Edmonton in Strathcona County.

“Expect delays in your afternoon commute as a vehicle loaded with an excavator has hit the Whitemud overpass on the Anthony Henday northbound. Emergency services are on scene directing traffic,” the county shared on social media just before 4 p.m.

RCMP said the semi-truck carrying an excavator was northbound on Anthony Henday Drive when it hit the overpass.

While RCMP said the Whitemud is unaffected, right lane northbound on the Henday is not passable and drivers should expect delays.

No injuries have been reported.

The extent of the damage has not yet been determined.

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It comes just over two years after a near-identical scenario shut down the busy interchange.

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In June 2023, a semi hauling an excavator slammed into the underside of the overpass, but on the side on/off ramp road from the Whitemud, not the main freeway as was the case on Thursday.

Police said the driver was heading north, attempting to exit the Henday at the Whitemud ramp, when the semi hit the overpass, causing extensive damage.

That excavator hit several girders, breaking away concrete and exposing rebar. It led to road closures that caused major traffic backups, particularly during rush hour.

A 22-year-old man who was driving the semi was charged with five offences under the Traffic Safety Act, the Highway Development and Protection Act and the Cargo Securement Standard.

The charges against the man, whose name was not released, included having a heavy vehicle not secured against moving, operating an over-dimensional vehicle on a highway contrary to the permit and interfering with or damaging a highway.

Repairing the 2023 damage cost $2.3 million and work wasn’t complete until this year.

More to come…