'Planning continues': Still no timeline to remove excavator from damaged Henday overpass

A "shoring tower" will have to be erected under a damaged overpass in southeast Edmonton before the piece of equipment that hit it can be removed and repairs can start.

That was the update Monday from an Alberta Transportation spokesperson who said there is still no clear timeline to get the bridge fixed or a clear picture of what it will cost.

On Friday morning, a semi-tractor trailer carrying an excavator hit the overpass bridge, located at Whitemud Drive and Anthony Henday Drive.

The equipment remained wedged under the bridge Monday.

"Planning continues to remove the excavator from beneath the overpass," Jesse Furber from Alberta Transportation told CTV News Edmonton.

"We are working on a design for a shoring tower to be implemented as a temporary support measure to be able to remove the excavator and to complete a more detailed inspection of the stand condition."

The parts of Anthony Henday Drive that were closed Friday reopened Saturday, but crews were still working to open "a single lane to the eastbound bridge as soon as possible," Furber said.

The driver was not injured, but an RCMP spokesperson said a ticket has been issued under the traffic safety act.