Drivers deal with nightmare traffic conditions in wake of tractor-trailer crash on I-70 in Maryland

An oversized tractor-trailer struck an overpass, causing significant damage, on Interstate 70 on Tuesday night, causing a traffic nightmare in and around Carroll County.

The crash happened around 9 p.m. when the truck was trying to go under the I-70 overpass on Maryland Route 27 in Mount Airy, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA).

The truck was carrying too big a load and ended up hitting four beams. Road closures were put in place immediately.

Repairs have been in the works since the collision happened, continuing into the rush hours on Wednesday. But it's going to take longer for things to be fully back to normal.

Fixing the beams

Cars were seen lining pretty much every road around I-70 and Route 27, as drivers navigated closures and detours caused by the crash.

Andrew Radcliffe, a district engineer with MDOT SHA, said two of the beams -- the innermost ones -- are expected to be repaired by the end of Wednesday.

Northbound Route 27 reopened close to 5 p.m. Wednesday. The eastbound I-70 bridge over Route 27 reopened after 7 p.m. A concrete barrier is in place separating I-70 from the southbound Route 27 ramp, according to SHA.

However, the outer beams are "critically damaged," and crews are still evaluating the impact of the damage. That means the ramp connecting southbound Route 27 and eastbound I-70 will be closed for an extended period of time.

"We're still looking into how we can best get those first two beams in a good place to reopen the full span of the bridge," Radcliffe said. "That will take some time to evaluate and get finished."

Hours and hours of traffic

Tammy Caurvina, who commutes from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, to Howard County for her job, said the drive is normally about an hour and 15 minutes.

But on Wednesday, just to get to Mount Airy, it took her more than six hours.

"I called it quits at noon, told my job I'm not coming in today," Caurvina said.

Tom Wetterer was on his way from Sharpsburg to Baltimore when he got caught up in the traffic. While driving through the detour, he also got into an accident.

"I basically had a doctor's appointment at 10:40, which I moved to 11:20, and now it's at 3:30," he said.

Given there's no time estimate on when everything will fully reopen, it's advised that drivers find alternate routes.

Both Caurvina and Wetterer are making the best of it.

"Luckily, when I come back, I'll be going the other way, and it looks clear," Wetterer said.

The traffic backups from this event caused a school bus for Glenwood Middle School in Howard County to be delayed 30 minutes on Wednesday morning.

There were no issues for the afternoon, according to a Howard County Public School System spokesman.