Victim Named In HWY 41 Crane Collapse: Oshkosh

July 6, 2012

UPDATE: 1 killed in crane collapse on Highway 41

The U.S. Route 41 bridge through Lake Butte des Mortes in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. Taken near a golf course. Taken prior to bridge reconstruction in 2010-11. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Updated: Jul 05, 2012 5:16 PM CDT

Oshkosh -
A Green Bay man is dead and another man is injured following a construction crane collapse in Winnebago County this morning. The accident happened over Lake Butte Des Mortes.

The deceased victim is identified as 35-year old Joseph Bidler. He was an employee of Spancrete, one of the contractors working on the Highway 41 expansion project. Another man who was hurt has not been identified. He was a crane operator for Lunda, the lead contractor on the project.

The collapsed construction crane and the girder it was moving this morning over Lake Butte Des Mortes remain in the water tonight. We’re told the accident happened as workers, using two cranes floating in the lake, were moving the fourth of twelve 52-ton girders as part of the Highway 41 expansion project.

DOT Project Engineer Brian Roper says, “Three of the first 12 had been successfully placed without incident, but it was in the midst of that fourth girder pick where unfortunately the tragic event occurred.”

Read more at WBAY 2.