Photo by Derek Redd Crews work to remove an interstate sign that collapsed across Interstate 470 West just past the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Friday. Westbound I-470 was closed for hours until the sign was removed.

BRIDGEPORT — A dump truck crash on westbound Interstate 470 caused a large sign to fall across it Friday morning, shutting down that section for about six hours and closing the off-ramp from I-470 to Ohio 7 even longer.

The dump truck’s bed struck the overhanging sign and the Ohio 7 bridge at around 9 a.m., according to Amanda McFarland, the Northeast Ohio Regional Public Information Officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation Amanda McFarland. The crash happened right across the Veterans Memorial Bridge on the Ohio side of the Ohio-West Virginia state line. The debris from the sign was completely cleaned up by ODOT crews by 3:20 p.m.

The Ohio 7 Bridge had to be closed on Friday after the incident for ODOT crews to do a safety inspection out of “an abundance of caution,” said McFarland. With no damage reported on the bridge, it could reopen fully.

No hazardous materials were involved in the crash, reported McFarland.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol did not reply with comments regarding the reason for the driver’s crash.

One lane of traffic on the interstate could be opened by 1 p.m., according to McFarland. The Ohio 7 on-ramp to I-470 West was open by that time as well. As of 4 p.m. on Friday, the I-470 ramp to Ohio 7 was a “little restricted,” said McFarland, due to part of the road’s shoulder and lane being closed.

During the closure of the interstate, traffic became backed up into West Virginia. At points in the day, drivers drove under the fallen sign to keep traffic moving when it was down to one lane.

The work done to clear up the signage was able to be finished in a couple of hours, as no outside contractors had to be called to help with the clean-up. McFarland reported an initial concern for the clean-up was that ODOT crews would not be fully equipped with the tools needed, but they were able to clear up the sign solely with their resources.

While the interstate is now fully open, a closure will occur in the future to replace the signage that fell. McFarland predicts this will not happen until “probably next year” due to the several weeks required to get the materials. A temporary closure will occur when the new parts are being installed.

“It will take some time for the full repair because the whole support system was damaged,” explained McFarland. “We will have to order new parts, get them fabricated and then reinstall everything.”