TROY, PA (WENY) -- Last month, a semi-truck hauling an oversized load hit the overhead truss bridge over Sugar Creek on Route 6 in Troy. Since then, the two-lane bridge has been closed, with a major detour in place.

On Tuesday, PennDOT gave an update on the repairs that are underway, describing the process to fix some of the bridge's steel beams.

"With a truss bridge, you main load carrying members are those vertical members that you see on the truss back there, that transfer the load to the ends of the bridge and the abutments. With this crash, we see a lot of damage to those vertical members, which are main load carrying members. So that's why the bridge is closed, because that strength is compromised. The repairs that we're doing, we're going to be bringing that back to the original strength and in some places a little bit higher than that," explained Lloyd Ayres, District Bridge Engineer with PennDOT. 

The bridge has been closed since July 12th, when the semi-truck's oversized load was too tall for the bridge's clearance, and got wedged underneath. The clearance height for the bridge is 14 feet 10 inches. The permit for the load being hauled was 14 feet, six inches, which would have allowed a four-inch buffer for it to travel under the truss, according to PennDOT. According to the state department of transportation, bridges that are 14'6" and higher do not have to have the clearance height posted. 

Truss repair work is being performed by contractor J.D. Eckman, Inc out of Chester, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, workers could be seen doing paint removal on the steel members, and performing a repair method known as heat straightening. Beams that cannot be repaired through heat straightening will be replaced. 

"We’ll heat the beams up to about 1,150 degrees; no hotter, no cooler. The guys down there they use pens to tell us the exact temperature, and when we hit that exact temperature, the actual steel beam will start to move. So then after we hit that temperature, we let it cool to 600 degrees, and the steel will actually start moving on its own," explained Construction Inspector, Ben Kershner. Once the beams get to that point, pressure will be applied to the beam to get it back to its straight position. Crews are working 12 hours a day, seven days a week on the project. In total, the repair project is estimated to cost between one and two million dollars. 

The bridge was built in 1941, and rehabilitated in 1988. It has had several preservation projects since 2005, according to data from PennDOT. Prior to the collision, the bridge saw approximately 4,000 vehicles per day, including 900 trucks. 

The repair work continues as the Troy Fair is just six days away, bringing an influx of traffic through the area. County officials stress that travelers should follow the posted detours, and make an effort to stay off local roads. 

"We’re having a little problem with people using the local roads and detours. The problem with the local roads is they’re not geometrically set up, or structurally able to hold some of the cars and truck traffic that our detour will hold," said Jared McMicken, Bradford County Maintenance Manager. "They have to be aware their GPS will sometimes send them on a road that’s not adequately built for a truck."

McMicken is working closely with Troy Township, and Bradford County Emergency Management regarding Troy Fair traffic. 

"During the Troy Fair we’re going to put some additional message board at the Troy Fair, to make sure that when traffic leaves the Troy Fair that they can quickly get on the detour route, go around so we’ll have some additional message and signage there for that," he said.

Project engineers are hopeful the repairs will be complete by the end of August, when school goes back in session. But for now, work is moving steadily forward. 

"Be patient. It's tedious work, be patient. We'll get it done," Kershner said.