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NOVI — A section of Interstate 96 was closed for nearly five hours Oct. 10 after a truck hauling gravel hit a large freeway sign and spilled gravel across the highway.
According to Diane Cross, of the Michigan Department of Transportation, the truck was being driven by an MDOT contractor. She said the contractor was driving a gravel hauler when he hit the overhead sign on the gantry.
“One of our contractors driving a gravel hauler hit the overhead sign on the gantry, which is the three new 96 Flex signs, and the freeway had to be closed to remove the very large sign using cranes,” said Cross.
A gravel hauler tractor has a large piston that can be raised and lowered to transport and empty out the gravel. According to Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Michael Shaw, public information officer for the Michigan State Police, the driver had his truck tipped upward when he hit the sign.
“A semi driver had his trailer up and struck one of the electrical signs,” Shaw said.
Cross said that no other vehicles were involved in the incident. According to Shaw and Cross, nobody was hurt as a result of the accident.
Immediately following the incident, eastbound I-96 near Beck Road was closed down to one lane. Then from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. both eastbound and westbound traffic had to be detoured in order for the large sign near Beck Road to be removed. Eastbound I-96 traffic was detoured from Beck Road to Novi Road. Westbound I-96 was closed from Interstate 275 and Interstate 696 to Wixom Road. The southbound M-5 ramp and the northbound I-275 ramps to I-96 were closed as well.
“The decision on the replacement is still being determined,” Cross said.
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