By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


Roadwork began this week on a stretch of I-96 near Williamston.

The Michigan Department of Transportation started construction Monday on a portion of the Williamston Road bridge over I-96 following an incident in March in which a truck hauling wood pallets rolled over at the overpass, struck the center pier of the bridge and caught on fire.

The driver, 64-year-old Aurel Roman of Howell, was killed in the accident, which caused extensive damage to the structure. The resulting repair project will leave the bridge with limited single-lane traffic until the structure is repaired while westbound I-96 at Williamston Road will have a single-lane closure on from 9am to 3pm daily. The project is expected to wrap up by Friday, November 12th.

Meanwhile, MDOT reminds all drivers that it is their responsibility to know the size of their load, noting that over-height vehicle/bridge collisions result in serious injuries, significant property damage and major congestion problems.

A permit is required for objects and/or vehicles more than 13 feet, 6 inches in height. For information on permitting, MDOT advises drivers to contact the local county road commission or the MDOT Permits Unit at 517-241-8999.