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DC-295 now open after bridge collapse

MPD said in a tweet early Thursday that all road closures are now open.

WASHINGTON — All roads on DC-295 are now open as of Thursday morning after a pedestrian bridge was knocked down by a truck and collapsed in Northeast, D.C. Wednesday afternoon leaving six people injured.

The bridge — located at Kenilworth Avenue and Polk Street, Northeast — collapsed just before noon on Wednesday. D.C. Fire and EMS officials had to help people trapped in cars underneath the fallen bridge, according to authorities.

The impact of the fallen bridge closed DC-295 in both directions with no access to US Route 50/ New York Avenue split to the Interstate 695 interchange for several hours Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police Department said in a tweet early Thursday that all roads were back open to traffic as of 1:40 a.m. Thursday.

We spoke to D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chris Geldart Thursday morning who told us the pedestrian bridge on DC-295 was knocked down by a truck and did not actually collapse. DDOT's Chief of Staff Saesha Carlile was also at the scene Thursday morning and said crews worked throughout the night to get the road cleared and back open in the morning. 

Geldart said in a news conference Wednesday evening that the tractor-trailer truck left a construction site near the bridge and had forgotten to lower its boom and collided with the bridge which brought the bridge down.

RELATED: Collapsed pedestrian bridge given ‘poor condition’ rating at most recent inspection, officials say

At least four cars were seen trapped under the debris from the bridge. Officials said at least one other car was struck by the debris.

Dashcam video from Raphael Williams on YouTube shows what it looked like when the bridge came down.

City officials tell WUSA9 that the bridge will have to be taken down in order for crews to efficiently investigate and rebuild it for commuters and pedestrians. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said there were no structural concerns to the bridge itself, however, investigators will now inspect the other bridges along that road to prevent further casualties.

RELATED: 6 tenants evacuated after car crashes into building in Northeast DC, police say

RELATED: DC Fire: 6 injured after pedestrian bridge collapses in Northeast DC; traffic on I-295 rerouted

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