ALTON — A dump truck struck a power pole on Emma L. Kaus Lane in Alton on Tuesday morning, March 18, 2025, resulting in a significant power outage that affected approximately 2,800 customers in Alton, Bethalto and Cottage Hills, and about 60 customers in Brighton. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m.
According to Ameren Illinois officials, crews are currently assessing the situation to ensure safety and restore power to the affected areas.
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The dump truck, which had its bed partially raised, reportedly caught the cable and phone communications lines, leading to the collapse of two power poles. The impact caused power lines to short circuit, resulting in widespread outages.
In response to the situation, utility crews from Ameren and JF Electric are working throughout the day to restore service. Part of the customers will likely be restored once some of the power source is rerouted.
Fosterburg Road has been closed to facilitate the replacement of the downed poles and to ensure the safety of workers and motorists. Officials have advised the public to avoid Fosterburg Road through the day on Tuesday.
As crews work to restore power, utility officials are focused on ensuring a safe and efficient recovery for the affected customers.
Ameren Illinois spokesperson Brian Bretsch said as of 12:10 p.m. on Tuesday that the majority of customers affected by the outage had been restored.
Those customers were rerouted to other power sources. Bretsch said the truck was one operated by the City of Alton.
"We will have people out there for quite some time doing repairs," Bretsch said. "The dump truck pulled down two power poles and they are inspecting a third one. They will be there into the evening to make the repairs."
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