A tractor-trailer carrying a windmill blade hit a railroad overpass in Stockton Springs on Friday morning.
The crash happened about 5:30 a.m. on Route 1, according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
A video shared with the Bangor Daily News on Friday morning showed the tractor-trailer passing a home on Route 1, and in the distance a loud noise could be heard.
The crash caused the tractor-trailer to overturn, shutting down Route 1, Moss said Friday morning. The road was reopened on Friday afternoon after crews moved the 240-foot long blade to another trailer, Moss said.
An initial investigation shows that the truck carrying the windmill blade likely didn’t move enough to the left to pass under the lower side of the train trestle. When the blade struck the trestle, it caused the truck, trailer and blade to roll over, according to Moss.
Because of the length of the blade, the truck is unable to turn around to hasten the cleanup of the crash site. STX, who employed the truck driver, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection are on the scene to assess the situation.
The Maine Department of Transportation is diverting traffic from the bridge to Route 174A to Route 1A and back to Route 1, Moss said. An escort vehicle will stay with the tractor trailer overnight. Moss said Route 1 will be closed again at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to facilitate bringing the blade back to Searsport.
Moss said no one was injured in the crash, and the railroad crossing did not receive any serious damage.
The windmill blade was being hauled to Columbia.
BDN writer Leela Stockley contributed to this report.
Listen: Windmill blade hits Stockton Springs railroad bridge