Not again! I-83 Queen Street bridge struck for 3rd time, possibly by scrap metal

The Interstate 83 overpass at Queen Street took another hit Wednesday, tying up traffic and possibly injuring a driver.

Authorities have provided differing accounts about whether a vehicle struck the bridge.

A caller dialed 911 around 1:54 p.m. to report that a southbound tractor-trailer had struck the Queen Street bridge, according to Ted Czech, public information officer with the York County Office of Emergency Management.

Debris from the impact struck another southbound tractor-trailer, rupturing its saddle tank and triggering a fuel spill, a release states. Emergency responders were evaluating the driver and no information was available on the extent of injuries or whether the person was being taken to a hospital.

The state Department of Transportation, however, is saying that the bridge was not struck by a vehicle.

"The scrap metal struck the bridge and caused debris to fly from the truck and possibly the bridge, hitting a (tractor-trailer) traveling behind it," spokeswoman Fritzi Schreffler wrote in an email.

A bridge inspector is on the scene, and it's not clear how much damage was done, she said.

The York County Hazmat Team responded to the scene to deal with the fuel spill, Czech said.

Traffic has been restricted to a single lane southbound.

The I-83 South off ramp to southbound Route 74 has reopened, and the bridge inspection should be finished soon, Schreffler said.

I-83 overpass at Queen Street suffers three strikes in two years

The bridge has been struck twice in the past − although those hits were on the northbound side.

The first bridge strike happened on Feb. 24, 2022 when a truck hauling an excavator hit the span on the northbound side of the highway.

Six months later, on Aug. 24, 2022, a 2005 International truck with its bed raised at a 45-degree angle struck the span in the same direction. Two other vehicles traveling on the highway were struck by debris from the bridge being hit, but no one in those vehicles was injured.

Crews made repairs to the structure this fall. It required a closure of the highway and Queen Street at the interchange on two separate weekends.

The repairs were estimated to cost up to $1.5 million.

Check back later as this is a breaking story.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Interstate 83 Queen St. bridge struck again, possibly by scrap metal