STOCKTON SPRINGS, Maine — A tractor-trailer hauling a windmill blade to Columbia, Maine, struck a railroad bridge Friday morning while traveling on Route 1 in Stockton Springs, causing it to topple over and block the roadway.
It happened around 5:30 a.m. Friday, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said in a press release. There were no injuries, according to officials.
Moss said an initial investigation indicates the driver of the tractor-trailer did not position the vehicle far enough into the left lane to navigate the lower side of the train trestle, resulting in the crash. The windmill blade, mounted on large brackets, struck the trestle, causing the truck, trailer, and blade to roll over, according to police.
The bridge had minor damage, according to officials.
Route 1 was closed in the area until about 4 p.m. During that time, traffic was rerouted from the bridge to 174A to 1A and back to Route 1, Moss said.
Maine State Police, Stockton Springs Fire Department, Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Department of Transportation, and Maine Department of Environmental Protection responded to the scene Friday.
STX, the employer of the truck driver, and representatives from the railroad also responded to assess the situation, according to officials.
By Friday afternoon, crews worked to upright the load and reload it onto a new trailer to return to Searsport, where it came from. Due to the length of the blade, turning the vehicle around was not an option, according to Moss.
"The only viable option is to load the blade onto another trailer and reverse it back to Searsport," she said.
Shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, Moss issued an update stating the 240-foot-long windmill blade had been transferred to another tractor-trailer truck, which had been positioned on the right side of Route 1.
"An escort vehicle will stay with the tractor-trailer overnight," Moss said in the update. "Route 1 has re-opened to traffic; however it is expected to close at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning to facilitate the transfer back to Searsport."
