Truck Transporting 182-Ton Oversized Cargo Overturned on a Bridge and Is Now Stuck There

      Local authorities in a small town in France are anxiously waiting for a large crane to help retrieve an oversized load that has become stranded on a bridge.

      The Scania semi-truck, owned by the trucking company Wack, was transporting a large furnace to the Novacarb chemical plant in Laneuveville-devant-Nancy, located in northeastern France. The setup is approximately 32 yards long, 7 yards wide, and 8 yards tall, and local news reports indicate that the furnace has a total weight of 182 tons. The convoy went over a small bridge in Jarville-la-Malgrange, France, where things went awry.

      "This was the only route available for delivering the furnace. However, it included a bridge that typically does not allow oversized loads, which is why our client had to place two metal platforms on the bridge," explained Pierre Wack, owner of the trucking company, to French newspaper l’Est Republicain.

      "The left-side platform sank by about 20 inches under the weight of the convoy, which caused it to start tipping. There was no issue with the truck, the trailer, or the driver; the problem was the collapse of one of the platforms," he added.

      It is still too early to determine the exact cause of the platform's collapse, as the investigation is ongoing. The more immediate concern is that, at the time of writing, the truck remains stuck on the bridge with its passenger-side wheels elevated and the large furnace leaning against the guardrail. Officials are concerned that the guardrail may not support the weight of the furnace; if it fails, the entire tractor-trailer unit could topple into a canal.

      Wack has stated that a 1,300-ton crane is expected to arrive on Thursday to lift the truck, trailer, and furnace off the bridge. This complex operation will require several hours, and in the interim, officials have secured the convoy to the metal platforms in hopes of preventing it from tipping.

      The 22-year-old driver became alarmed when the truck started to roll, realizing that if the guardrail gave way, the rig would fall into the canal below. He quickly moved across the cab, opened the passenger-side door, and jumped out, landing several feet down on one of the platforms prepared for the truck. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries but was released the following day after receiving five stitches.

      Regarding the furnace, Novacarb believes it may be salvageable.

      "For now, our top priority is to get the [furnace] off the bridge and to our factory as quickly as possible. Once it arrives, we'll evaluate the damage. We may need to replace a few bent pieces of sheet metal, or possibly some internal components on the side currently leaning against the guardrail. We cannot confirm anything just yet," the company informed l’Est Republicain.