MnDOT To Use Snooper Truck For Wabasha Bridge Inspection

WABASHA, MN — Motorists in Wabasha County should be alert for bridge inspectors on June 5-6 as the Minnesota Department of Transportation conducts inspections of the Highway 60 Mississippi River Bridge in Wabasha and the southbound Highway 61 bridge at the Zumbro River at Kellogg. MnDOT bridge inspectors will be on the southbound Hwy 61 bridge over the Zumbro River, approximately 1 mile north of Hwy 42 near Kellogg. Lane closures will occur during this work beginning at 8 a.m., June 5.

Inspectors will continue their work, moving to Wabasha to begin the annual inspection on the Wabasha Bridge June 5 and continuing on June 6 until work is completed. Short delays are possible on the Highway 60 bridge. Flaggers will control traffic while the inspectors are on the bridge, according to a news release.

A snooper truck is used during MnDOT inspections. The truck is a specialty vehicle that has a multi-jointed arm with a basket attached at the end to hold the bridge inspectors. The equipment allows the inspection team to maneuver under the bridge, while the truck is parked on the bridge deck.

Bridge inspections

Overall, MnDOT’s bridge inspectors in southeast Minnesota will evaluate nearly 1,000 bridges in the region this year for MnDOT and local governments such as cities and counties.

MnDOT urges motorists to always be attentive, drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.
For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.

Image via U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Flickr, used under Creative Commons