© 2026 ABC News

Images following the collapse showed a truck crushed under the bridge, which appeared to have completely detached from a staircase and platform at one end. Metal fencing and other debris covered DC-295, which is one of the main highways in the city.

\"PHOTO:
WJLA
PHOTO: Vehicles sit in debris after a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2021.
>

The crash investigation and bridge removal could continue through Thursday, with traffic on the highway halted in both directions, Geldart said. Fire department responders were able to stop a diesel fuel leak.

Officials initially said there were no structural concerns with the bridge when it was last inspected in February. But Geldart later issued a statement obtained by ABC News that they had \"misstated the condition\" of the bridge. A May 25 inspection report gave the bridge a rating of \"poor condition,\" prompting a plan to replace the bridge, he said.

The bridge still had \"good structural integrity,\" and the rating was due to the decking, the part of the bridge which people walk over, Geldart said during a press briefing Wednesday night. The bridge is now believed to have collapsed due to a collision with the truck's boom, which had not been lowered after the driver left a nearby construction yard, he said.

\"PHOTO:
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
PHOTO: Debris is seen after a pedestrian bridge collapsed on June 23, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
>

Officials did not yet have an estimate on when the highway could reopen, or how long it would take to rebuild the bridge.

Incident/Location: Foote Bridge collapsed on I-295 SB.

⛔ I-295 northbound and southbound lanes between Pennsylvania Ave, SE and Eastern Ave, NE

— DC Police Traffic (@DCPoliceTraffic) June 23, 2021

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged commuters to follow traffic updates, especially as rush hour was approaching.

\"We're going to ask DC residents and all commuters to pay close attention to our [DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency] alerts as well as all the local broadcasts, to be mindful of how you can avoid this area,\" Bowser said during Wednesday afternoon's briefing. \"Please pay close attention to avoid this area.\"

ABC News' Beatrice Peterson and Sarah Shales' contributed to this report.

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