The Army for the past few years rarely applied for oversize load permits to transport equipment like the excavator that hit a freeway overpass on Tuesday. Instead, it relied on a contractor for much of the hauling, the state Department of Transportation said.

BAE Systems applies for an average of five oversize load permits a week to haul equipment to Schofield Barracks, said Scott Naleimaile, an engineering technician with the DOT's permits section.

"They are very diligent," Naleimaile said. "They are very conscientious about how they fill out the permit. They detail everything."

Whether the Army was regularly hauling heavy equipment on its own without permits, or just left the job to BAE Systems, is unclear. The city, state and Army are investigating the accident that resulted in the closure of all H-1 lanes 'ewa-bound, trapped thousands of motorists, and led to nightmarish commutes that stretched into a record number of hours.

State officials said the Army did not seek the oversize load permit that's required by state and federal law. On Wednesday, however, the Army applied for and received such a permit to transport three smaller excavators that were still on the docks, officials said.

DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa said the state is not "issuing permits for the sake of issuing permits."

"It's educating the drivers on adjusting the height and weight of their load accordingly and if they have to take alternate routes," he said.

The truck and excavator that hit the 'Aiea pedestrian overpass on Tuesday were from the 82nd Engineer Company, 29th Engineer Battalion, 8th Sustainment Command (Theater), which Army officials said is headquartered out of Fort Shafter.

The military rig, driven by a 35-year-old sergeant, was delivering the excavator back to Schofield Barracks after it was used to demolish old barracks on Kwajalein Atoll. The military estimated the top of the excavator was at 18 feet. The height clearance for the overpass was 16 feet and three-quarters of an inch. The maximum allowable height for vehicles at that point is 14 feet.

The cost to replace the damaged and then later-removed section of overpass is expected to be at least $500,000.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, on Friday said he told the Army it should pay up.

In a letter to Lt. Gen. John Brown III, the commanding general of U.S. Army, Pacific, at Fort Shafter, Abercrombie said, "I look forward to hearing from your command about a plan to compensate the state of Hawai'i for the cost of knocking down and eventually replacing the pedestrian bridge."

According to Army statistics, the accident was an anomaly.

The 25th Infantry Division said deployments in recent years have required at least 100 convoys, and during those convoys, four "minor, fender-bender type accidents" occurred, said Garrett J. Lozier, senior mission manager for the Installation Fire and Safety Office, in an e-mail statement.

"We are extremely proud of our safety record and our ability to coexist with traffic on our island's thoroughfares and we work hard at safety every day," Lozier said. "We take our safety responsibilities very seriously, and that's why we've had relatively few accidents in the past."

The Army said its subject matter experts "were not comfortable in conducting (phone) interviews, given the events of the week."

In the e-mail, the Army said it has standard operating procedures to assist soldiers in proper planning and execution of military vehicle movement. Among the most important requirements is a thorough "risk management assessment" for convoy or vehicle movement. During that process, all potential hazards should be identified, assessed and ranked, the Army said.

For convoy movements on O'ahu, the Army said it obtains a special permit from the state that specifies route, times of movement, and whether Honolulu Police Department assistance is required.

"We live and drive in this community, and safety is first and foremost on our minds, both while our soldiers are operating vehicles inside the gates and out," Lozier said.

The DOT's Naleimaile said the only other time in recent years he's aware the Army sought an oversize load permit on its own, rather than through a contractor, was with the return of the 84th Engineer Battalion from Iraq in 2005.

BAE Systems was awarded a five-year, $51 million contract in July of 2002 to provide logistical support and services to the U.S. Army Garrison, Hawai'i, including transportation.

Naleimaile said for the repeated transport of similar heavy equipment, such as the Army's Stryker vehicles from the port, an annual permit can be sought. But for individual loads, "we have to ... make sure it fits all dimensions and weights," he said.

The DOT has received about 3,000 non-military oversize load permit requests to date this year. An oversize/overweight load is defined as over 14 feet in height, 9 feet in width, 65 feet in length bumper to bumper, and with a tractor trailer and load combined weight of more than 80,000 pounds.

Ishikawa said earlier last week the DOT had a stack of handouts detailing rules and regulations for carrying oversized loads, and they were gone by Thursday.

"It's a reminder for everybody that they have to check their loads," he said. "I think nobody wants to have a repeat at this point."

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.