Westbound Traffic on Ringgold Road is snarled, Wednesday afternoon, by a semi truck hauling an over-sized load near Belvoir Avenue.

A semi truck hauling an over-sized load caused damage to traffic signals at the intersection of Ringgold Road and Marlboro Avenue on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to a police report, property damage was reported on Tuesday when the over-sized load snapped a tether line of the bottom of the traffic signal at the intersection. The driver, who is from Texas, said he received permission to take the route from the state of Tennessee, the report states.

Mike Ailey, the supervisor of the city’s Traffic Department, was called to the scene on Tuesday and told city officials it would cost about $1,000 in parts and labor to repair the damage.

According to the police report, the driver said he would cover the cost of any repairs.

Mike Ailey, Supervisor of the ER Traffic Department, repairs a traffic signal damaged by a truck hauling an over-sized load on Wednesday.

On Wednesday when Ailey and his crew were repairing the tether line, another over-sized load from the same company came through and damaged more signaling at the same location.

An official with the traffic department said the city complies with a minimum standard of 15.5 feet of clearance from the roadway to the traffic signals. The official said the driver of the over-sized load said his permit from the state allowed him 17 feet of clearance.

On Wednesday afternoon westbound traffic on Ringgold Road was snarled for blocks between Marlboro Avenue and Germantown Road where the truck would presumably head north to avoid the Missionary Ridge tunnels.

Traffic officials said public safety officials were escorting the over-sized load through town. 

City officials did not know what the over-sized load was. Ailey said it appeared to be a prefabricated building. Another official said it was his understanding that as many as 40 additional over-sized loads would be using Ringgold Road for its route in coming days.