A semi hauling a forklift banged into a bridge on Interstate 90 near Beulah, Wyoming, the evening of October 15. The rig's load was too tall for the posted 15 feet 11 inches clearance, causing damage to multiple girders under the overpass.

The details: The driver had all the right permits from the state to move the oversized load along that route, according to Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT).

• WYDOT shut down the bridge afterward, saying engineers need to do a full inspection before reopening it to traffic.
• This bridge was just fixed earlier this year after being hit by another truck back in 2023.
• There are thousands of bridge strikes like this nationwide every year, though state officials didn’t share Wyoming’s current numbers.

Blame game: State officials say it’s up to truckers to make sure their loads clear every bridge, even if the route is approved. “It is a driver’s responsibility to make sure there is clearance for their truck and load,” said a WYDOT spokesman.

But some trucking company owners in Wyoming are pushing back. Mark Sutherland, who owns a large outfit in Cheyenne, says the state often sends drivers down roads where the bridges just aren’t tall enough—then puts all the blame on the driver when something goes wrong. “Everything falls back on the truck driver. There is so much crap we have to put up with, and it’s always our fault,” said Sutherland, reported Cowboy State Daily.

• Other truckers say some states don’t even post bridge heights, which makes planning safe routes even tougher.
• There are bridges in Wyoming that have been hit by trucks more than once in a single year.

After this latest hit, the I-90 bridge near Beulah will stay closed until further notice.