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Crews Begin Demolishing Scorched Interstate 75 Bridge

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By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 5, 2008

ELLENTON - Crews from the Florida Department of Transportation began demolishing tonight the charred sections of the Interstate 75 overpass damaged in Wednesday's tractor-trailer fire.

Unable to salvage the bridge after the tanker truck exploded below, DOT is tearing down the sections to rebuild it. Crews will replace two sections of the bridge as well as the columns that hold them up, officials said.

Construction could take up to six weeks.

There may be some relief to the traffic congestion in the area on Monday morning, when the Florida Highway Patrol plans to switch southbound traffic over into the northbound lanes, which were not damaged in the fire.

"We're going to have a wall that goes down the center, so we're going to facilitate two lanes of travel south and two lanes of travel north," said highway patrol Lt. Doug Dodson.

The damaged bridge carries southbound traffic over the Manatee River.

About 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, a driver lost control of his vehicle on southbound I-75, officials said. A semi-truck hauling either gasoline or diesel fuel tried to avoid the spinning vehicle, but slammed into the guardrail and plunged off the overpass.

When the truck hit the asphalt of U.S. 301, it exploded in a massive ball of flames. The driver, Raymond Neumann, 54, of Brooksville, was taken by medical helicopter to Tampa General Hospital. Authorities said Neumann was burned over 90 percent of his body.

Neumann was listed in critical condition late Wednesday night. At his family's request, no new information on his condition was released today.

The other drivers involved in the crash received minor injuries or refused medical treatment, authorities said.

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