Full Breakdown
Partial Collapse of County Road 87 Bridge Over I-65 Disrupts Shelby County Traffic
8/26/2026, 8:38:00 AM
Incident Overview
Around noon on Tuesday, an 18-wheel semi-truck transporting an excavator struck the underside of the County Road 87 bridge that spans Interstate 65 near the 234-mile marker and the Shelby County Airport. The impact caused a portion of the bridge to collapse onto the interstate below, prompting an immediate shutdown of southbound I-65 and the bridge itself.
Injuries and Traffic Disruption
Authorities reported two people injured, one of them in critical condition after debris pierced a car windshield. A severely damaged sedan and additional vehicles were also affected. The closure forced southbound traffic onto Exit 238 in Alabaster, creating a four-mile backup and extending travel times to up to two and a half hours for some drivers. Shelby County Schools warned that bus routes would be delayed and after-school care would remain open for affected families.
Official Response and Repairs
Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) crews removed concrete debris, inspected the structure, and began cutting away damaged rebar. The agency announced that the southbound lane of the County Road 87 bridge will stay closed for “a few weeks” while emergency repairs to the western half of the span are completed. Calera Mayor Kenny Dale Cost confirmed the injuries and noted that three to four vehicles were damaged.
On-the-Ground Accounts
David Card, a driver traveling to a VA appointment, recounted the detour:
“I was directed and I had to take 31 and it took me two and a half hours to get to the VA. Everything that gets rerouted is backing everything else up. It’s crazy,” — David Card
Data Summary
- Injuries: 2 (1 critical) – reported by local officials.
- Bridge age: 66 years – listed as “fair” on a federal bridge condition site.
- Closure duration: approximately seven hours on Tuesday; lane closure to remain for several weeks.
- Traffic impact: 4 miles of backup; detour added up to 2.5 hours for some motorists.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The interstate is currently shut down to allow crews to remove the concrete debris from the roadway. The CR-87 bridge is also currently closed to traffic. ALDOT has crews on the scene to evaluate the bridge’s structural integrity. I-65 will reopen as soon as safely possible,” — ALDOT. ALDOT
These statements and the on-site observations illustrate the immediate safety concerns and the extended traffic challenges faced by Shelby County residents following the bridge collapse.
