A prime mover was travelling on the Hume Freeway from North Albury to Jackson’s Earthmoving in Wodonga when the 22-tonne Caterpillar excavator on the back of its low-loader trailer hit the bridge, about 9.30am.

The impact destroyed part of a storm-water drain and dislodged an electrical line powering traffic lights on the overpass, and a witness described the machinery as “flying” off the trailer.

Boldizsar Boglari followed the truck from the Racecourse Road on-ramp and said it “barely fit” underneath the Fallon Street and North Street overpasses.

“As soon as we saw the third overpass coming up, I said to my wife ‘Look, there’s no way he will make it under there’, and we held back about 100 metres.

“He ploughed into it and that thing flew 15 to 20 metres off the truck and there was a massive dust cloud, it was like a bomb went off.”

Mr Boglari, a heavy vehicle driver trainer, believed the boom of the excavator was not fully closed and said it was lucky no-one was killed.

With the excavator laying across both southbound lanes of the freeway, traffic was diverted via the Riverina Highway off-ramp while the overpass was also closed to traffic until it could be assessed.

The boom of the excavator, which was brand-new, had to be removed with an oxy-cutter in order for the cabin to be righted, with Fire and Rescue NSW Albury Central suppressing the risk of fire.

An RMS engineer travelled from Wagga to assess the bridge and determined there was no major structural damage.

RMS, with Albury police, will determine what sort of breach of the Road Transport Safety Act has taken place, and it could result in a fine or the matter going to court.

Murray River Police District crime manager Winston Woodward said there were “strict guidelines in place” for anybody transporting this type of equipment.

“For this type of excavator to hit a bridge of that height is extraordinary and I haven’t known it to happen before in this area,” he said.

“What is of significant importance to police is that nobody was injured as a result.”

A spokesman for Jackson's said all the staff at the family-owned business were devastated by the incident and said steps were being taken to look after the driver’s mental health.

“I’d like to thank everyone who was on the scene,” he said.

“The bridge can be fixed … at the end of the day human life is the priority.”

He said the business would be fully co-operating with investigators.

Borella Road and the Hume Freeway are both expected to re-open later today.

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