An excavator on a flatbed trailer hit one of the three bridges near the Taconite Harbor Energy Center in Schroeder at 6:36 p.m. on Thursday, September 22, knocking loose chunks of the bridge and blocking one lane of Highway 61 for several hours.
The 1997 Kenworth and John Deere excavator, owned by Stan Bautch Construction, were being driven eastbound by Dan Schlienz, 42, of Grand Marais. Schlienz had driven the equipment to where it was being used at the Pagami Creek fire earlier in the day. For some reason on the return trip, the boom of the excavator hit the center bridge of the three bridges near the energy center, breaking pieces off the bridge, shattering the windows on the excavator and nearly tipping it off of the trailer.
Minnesota State Patrol Officer Leah Carpenter responded to find “significant chunks of steel” on the highway. She said they were so large that one person could not move them off the road alone. Traffic was not halted entirely, but was slowed to one lane as the excavator was righted and the debris was removed from the highway.
Cleveland Cliffs Mining, which owns the bridge, was contacted. The company is not using the railroad bridge at this time, but told State Patrol Officer Leah Carpenter that it would repair the bridge. A bridge inspector from the Minnesota Department of Transportation was also contacted and inspected the bridge. Carpenter said it is believed that the bridge is safe.
Carpenter said no charges were filed. However, she said there would likely be “significant consequences” regarding the repair of the bridge.
Leave a Reply