A worker from Don's Collision Center pours absorbent onto the westbound lane of I-20. The truck took out the guardrail and scattered debris across both of the lanes. Annette M. Drowlette/Staff

Overturned truck snarls I-20 traffic

Monday's tractor-trailer accident on Interstate 20 might keep motorists scrambling to find alternate routes until later this week, officials said.

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An overturned tractor-trailer at the Georgia state line of Interstate 20 blocked the road for several hours. The driver of the truck was not seriously injured in the early-morning accident. Crews will continue to work today to repair the bridge over the Augusta Canal. Annette M. Drowlette/Staff

Crews will continue today to work on repairs to the guardrail and deck of the westbound I-20 bridge over the Augusta Canal, which was damaged in the accident, said Vonda Everett, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The inside westbound lane will be open today, Ms. Everett said, but repairs to the guardrail and deck will not be completed until Thursday.

The accident occurred at 3:35 a.m. when a 2000 International truck, driven by Tyrone Genwright, 28, of Conway, S.C., overturned and hit the guardrail on a bridge over the Augusta Canal, said Richmond County sheriff's Maj. Richard Weaver.

Mr. Genwright told deputies that as he left South Carolina, he started to have mechanical problems with the steering wheel, causing him to run into the guardrail on the overpass, Maj. Weaver said.

He said the truck turned onto its left side. Mr. Genwright did not suffer serious injuries, but he was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital for complaints of back and neck pain, Maj. Weaver said.

He said deputies charged Mr. Genwright with failure to maintain lane.

The truck was carrying metal rebar, which was dumped onto the road.

Traffic on the South Carolina side of I-20 was halted at Exit 1, where motorists were required to exit onto Martintown Road, also known as South Carolina Highway 230.

The detour itself had traffic along Martintown Road southbound jammed for several miles, and every alternative corridor into Georgia through North Augusta had long lines of traffic by the afternoon hours.

Ms. Everett said the outside lane of traffic at the I-20 canal overpass will be closed until this afternoon.

Thereafter, she said, the outside lane will be closed during the day until Thursday.

Reach Jeremy Craig at (706) 823-3409 or jeremy.craig@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Tuesday, May 4, 2004 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle