A semi-truck caused extensive damage to a bridge over Interstate 80 near Rawlins on Monday morning.
According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the semi-truck was headed westbound when it drifted off the pavement, into the median, and struck a cable barrier and a guardrail before hitting the concrete supports on the underside of the bridge at exit 214.
The impact was so intense that the tractor-trailer bounced up, damaging one of the bridge’s arches, and embedded into the three supports. The semi-truck broke free and continued careening along the guardrail.
Two people, the driver and co-driver of the semi-truck, escaped with non-life-threatening injuries. There was no mention of what caused the crash or whether any citations were issued.
The westbound lanes of I-80 near the bridge were closed, and traffic was diverted onto the exit ramps.
Doug McGee, public affairs officer for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), told Cowboy State Daily that bridge engineers from Cheyenne were en route to the location.
An assessment of the bridge’s condition “could take some time due to the extensive damage.”
The Wyoming Highway Patrol could not be reached for additional information at the time of publication.
Abnormal And Inconvenient
Mira Miller, the public information officer for the city of Rawlins, said this was the first time that anyone has hit the bridge at exit 214. That presented a straightforward solution for traffic control.
“This is a very unique incident in that we don’t have any stuck traffic,” she said. “Instead of going under the bridge, you just go onto the ramps and then back off again.”
The greatest burden will be borne by Rawlins residents. The bridge, which is part of Rawlins’s Higley Boulevard, was completely closed after the incident.
Until WYDOT’s engineers have fully evaluated the bridge, it’s likely to remain closed. If the damage was serious enough, it might be closed for a while longer.
“The Wyoming State Penitentiary, TA Travel Center and Truck Service, and a hotel are on the south side of that exit,” Miller said. “People traveling to any of these locations through Rawlins will have to go to the 211 exit, on the west side of town, and drive to the 214 exit to get there.”
Miller described the incident as “abnormal.”
“I've never heard of this bridge being closed for something like this,” she said. “I know WYDOT is working very quickly to figure out what to do and to keep everybody safe while they're in that process.”
Who’s Responsible?
Bridge and underpass crashes are rare in Wyoming, but they can cause tremendous disruption to traffic, especially on a highway as busy as I-80.
It also costs millions of dollars to repair the bridges after these incidents, adding further traffic disruption.
Usually, incidents are caused when a truck’s load exceeds the clearance height underneath the bridge, damaging the overhead structure. In that case, the blame usually goes to the driver.
On the evening of Oct. 15, 2025, a low-boy truck and trailer carrying the mast of a forklift exceeded the posted clearance height of 15 feet 11 inches of the overpass at Beulah along I-90, damaging several girders and braces.
A preliminary inspection by WYDOT’s bridge engineers revealed that the damage compromised the integrity of the bridge, but it reopened shortly afterward, and traffic resumed without incident.
“It is a driver’s responsibility to make sure there is clearance for their truck and load,” McGee said in October 2025. “When a bridge strike happens, it can affect traffic flow for people and cost transportation companies a great deal of money (for repairs).”
McGee added that many strikes happen due to driver inattention. Many drivers ignore the signage listing height restrictions, leading to these incidents.
Earlier that year, WYDOT finished repairing damage to the same bridge from a similar incident in 2023. It cost $1.9 million.
“Regarding bridge strikes, there are more than anyone wishes,” said former WYDOT executive director Luke Reiner. "It is a responsibility of those who use the road to know the dimensions of their loads, understand the potential friction points, and plan their route accordingly.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
