District: District 3 - Marysville
Contact: Steve Nelson
Phone: (530) 741-4566; (530) 701-9459
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Meyers — A truck fire over the weekend that shut down U.S. Highway 50 just east of Meyers will require emergency repair work, but the bridge is safe to travel on.
The deck and asphalt approaches on each end of the Sawmill Bridge over the Upper Truckee River will need to be resurfaced and portions of the guardrail on the 134.5-foot structure have to be replaced. Signs were also damaged in the fire, which erupted after a fuel tanker collided with another vehicle and overturned on Saturday, causing a tank explosion.
The tank was carrying 7,000 gallons of fuel, 1,500 of which were transferred on site. Another 4,500 gallons spilled on the bridge. Fremouw Environmental Services of Dixon is providing clean-up work, which is expected to take 10-15 days, after which the repair work can begin. The initial estimate for the repairs is $500,000.
Weather or unexpected events may delay or prolong the work. Caltrans advises motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert.” The department will issue updates on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on QuickMap or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.
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