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Last updated on Wednesday, January 6, 2016
(PAOLI) - Orange County officials say it’s unclear whether a historic iron bridge in Paoli can be saved after a truck driver ignored weight limit signs and drove over the bridge, causing it to collapse on Christmas Day.
The Cleveland Bridge and Iron Company built the bridge on South Gospel Street in 1880 and the county had hopes of preserving the old structure by putting up signs prohibiting vehicles weighing more than six tons from crossing it.
However on Christmas day, 23-year-old Mary Lambright was driving a semi carrying more than 43,000 pounds of water and attempted to drive over the bridge, causing it to collapse. It took crews armed with cutting torches more than 9 hours to clear the wreckage.
Orange County Commissioner Don Crockett says it's unclear how much repairs could cost - or if the structure is even salvageable.
Engineers are due in Paoli this week to look at the damage and determine what can be done.
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