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11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

11foot8.com

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Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#11

Post by chrisseaton »

sebastien_bois wrote: post #3

Still not high enough. They raised it another 8 inches to make it an even 12ft not too long ago, but evidently that still not enough. One would think they would've looked more closely at the traffic on that road and adjusted it accordingly. It's also really silly to have a sign indicating that too large vehicles must turn, which most drivers won't read/see in time, and practically force them to crash into the bridge,…

You make it sound like it's normal that people would expect that they can drive into a bridge without checking the height first - as if it's the bridge's fault for being too low. Why don't the drivers check?

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#12

Post by sixothree »

hattar wrote: post #7

Why not place an arch before the bridge that will impact but not damage vehicles going through? This exists in the entrance to most parking garages. Edit: like this https://www.jpsiteexperts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cle...

Or maybe red warning lights instead of yellow warning lights. Maybe they have changed it. But yellow lights to me doesn't suggest "you absolutely need to stop".

edit: okay. Now they have a sign. With white lettering. In a location where we know from years of experience drivers aren't looking. This makes no sense to me. Everything about this is bad design.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#13

Post by dwighttk »

hattar wrote: post #7

Why not place an arch before the bridge that will impact but not damage vehicles going through? This exists in the entrance to most parking garages. Edit: like this https://www.jpsiteexperts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cle...

There is an arch... or a metal thing you hit instead of the bridge.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#14

Post by ed25519FUUU »

hattar wrote: post #7

Why not place an arch before the bridge that will impact but not damage vehicles going through? This exists in the entrance to most parking garages. Edit: like this https://www.jpsiteexperts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cle...

It looks like one exists, but it’s right before the bridge and not enough warning to stop a car traveling quickly.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#15

Post by smitty1e »

chrisseaton wrote: post #10

What is so special about this bridge? Why do people drive under it without checking their height? You wouldn't normally think you can just drive under any bridge, would you? It doesn't even look like a very low bridge. Why do people approach it without a care in the world at full speed? My vehicle is only 2m tall and I still do take a quick look at height signs as I approach them.

You're a new driver, following Google Maps, and the fact that you hadn't cared about the height of your vehicle WRT your route just got expensive.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#16

Post by dwighttk »

sixothree wrote: post #12
hattar wrote: post #7

Why not place an arch before the bridge that will impact but not damage vehicles going through? This exists in the entrance to most parking garages. Edit: like this https://www.jpsiteexperts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cle...

Or maybe red warning lights instead of yellow warning lights. Maybe they have changed it. But yellow lights to me doesn't suggest "you absolutely need to stop". edit: okay. Now they have a sign. With white lettering. In a location where we know from years of experience drivers aren't looking. This makes no sense to me. Everything about this is bad design.

There are lights that come on and the stoplight changes to red when an overheight vehicle approaches.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#17

Post by sixothree »

chrisseaton wrote: post #10

What is so special about this bridge? Why do people drive under it without checking their height? You wouldn't normally think you can just drive under any bridge, would you? It doesn't even look like a very low bridge. Why do people approach it without a care in the world at full speed? My vehicle is only 2m tall and I still do take a quick look at height signs as I approach them.

Because in general, people are human.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#19

Post by NobodyNada »

chrisseaton wrote: post #10

What is so special about this bridge? Why do people drive under it without checking their height? You wouldn't normally think you can just drive under any bridge, would you? It doesn't even look like a very low bridge. Why do people approach it without a care in the world at full speed? My vehicle is only 2m tall and I still do take a quick look at height signs as I approach them.

According to the Wikipedia article [0], the bridge is very old and does not meet current clearance standards:

> It was designed in the 1920s, and opened in 1940, with a clearance for vehicles of 11 feet 8 inches (3.56 m). This was a standard height at the time it opened. The standard clearance, since 1973, has a minimum height of 14 feet (4.3 m), which is 2 feet 4 inches (0.71 m) higher than the bridge as built.

I imagine most trucks are built to be just under 14 feet so that fitting under bridges is not usually an issue.

Another thing I’ve noticed watching some of these videos is that most of the accidents are rental trucks. Presumably many of these drivers have never driven a truck in their lives and ignore clearance warnings out of habit.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Southern–Gregson_Stree...

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#20

Post by chrisseaton »

smitty1e wrote: post #15
chrisseaton wrote: post #10

What is so special about this bridge? Why do people drive under it without checking their height? You wouldn't normally think you can just drive under any bridge, would you? It doesn't even look like a very low bridge. Why do people approach it without a care in the world at full speed? My vehicle is only 2m tall and I still do take a quick look at height signs as I approach them.

You're a new driver, following Google Maps, and the fact that you hadn't cared about the height of your vehicle WRT your route just got expensive.

But that could happen anywhere in the country.

What's so special about this bridge that means it gets so much coverage. It doesn't even seem extremely low.

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