An exit sign falls onto Interstate 190 in Worcester. (Paul Kunz)

An overhead sign that fell on I-190 in Worcester last week was caused when the anchor bolts holding the sign support to its foundation failed, according to a preliminary investigation by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

A MassDOT spokesperson said that the agency is in the process of inspecting all 52 overhead sign structures on the I-190 corridor. The foundations of 31 sign structures had been inspected as of Tuesday, with the rest to be inspected over the next two weeks.

One sign structure has already been identified to be taken down based on the findings of the ongoing inspections. The sign is not over an active travel lane, MassDOT said, so it is not an immediate risk to drivers.

A project to replace the 52 sign structures and their foundations was scheduled to be advertised for construction in November; the project has been moved up to next month in response to last week’s incident.

I-190 southbound was temporarily closed before Exit 1 from about 8 to 8:43 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9 so crews could remove the sign. No one was injured in the collapse.

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