BALTIMORE (AP) — Highway crews have reopened a westbound bridge on Interstate 70 after repaired a cracked beam that was discovered under the structure.
The State Highway Administration reopened the bridge Sunday about 4 p.m. The agency ordered the bridge closed Friday just before rush hour. The bridge goes over the Patapsco River at the Baltimore County-Howard County line. It carries an average of 100,000 vehicles a day.
Drivers have been forced to take alternate routes.
A crew painting underneath the bridge Friday noticed a crack in a metal beam and notified state officials. The highway administration says engineers bolted and welded steel plates to the bridge beam as a permanent repair.
Inspectors examined the remainder of the bridge and determined it was in acceptable condition and did not require any additional repairs.
