02.09.2010

Road collapse dumps crane

A riverside road gave way yesterday dumping a crawler crane and its operator around 20 metres to the Androscoggin river bank, near Auburn, Maine.

The operator escaped with a minor injury to his thumb

According to the Maine Department of Transportation, around 60 metres of Route 136 and three utility poles have been damaged.
Please register to see all images

The road collapse caused the crane to drop around 15 5o 20 metres

The crane, a Link Belt crawler, had been driving sheet piles alongside the road for the past four days in an effort to retain the wall facing the river. It was sitting in the middle of a new half-mile long section of road when it collapsed.

Road reconstruction was halted in June after a portion of the road slipped into the river. The project was expected to resume after the middle portion had been stabilised with the piles the crane was installing.
Please register to see all images

The crane almost remained upright and the operator only had a minor injury