Another truck-railroad bridge marriage, made in hell

You know how when Twitter goes down, the "fail whale" appears as an error splash page?

Pretty soon, we're going to need a "rail fail" icon to use when a truck hits a railroad bridge -- something that happens with some regularity around this here Bull City.

And today, it wasn't the usual suspect on Gregson, which has been so lovingly captured by a video camera out a window. (One Triangle area TV station actually called us here at BCR last week, wondering who shot the video, which they wanted to put on the local news.)

This time, it's the Chapel Hill St. bridge. We really hope the driver of the Ryder truck got an insurance rider for this one. Har, har.

Note especially the nearby "overheight truck detour" sign. From a reader:

Update: Another reader sent in this photo from another angle:

Comments

[B]

In all fairness, that sign should probably be before the turn...

[Doug Roach]

Simple solution... (or at least a suggestion presuming upon the literacy of drivers in Durham.)
http://www.littleberryhill.net/images/email_imgs/12_feet.jpg (WARNING: Not Safe For Work!)

[t]

Used to work in brightleaf with view of bridge.

Usually people turning off peabody dont hit it -- they are usually going too slow to do much damage anyways.

The trucks that get de-roofed are the ones driving fast down gregson and not paying attention. There are multiple signs and a flashing lite if your vehicle is over-height, but trucks still hit the bridge once every week or two. The city has moved the warning sensor back further from the bridge to no avail.

Part of the problem is the truck rental near northgate. lots of the hits are penske's with drivers who forgot they are driving a big truck!

And, props to the guys that run the webcam -- saw the footage on fail blog!

[OnTheGrassyKnoll]

Wow, Doug, it's not everyone who Photoshops for fun who will take the time to actually perfectly place the type along the right perspective line. I salute you in this age of half-assedness....

[Phil]

I am reminded of a happy non-accident at this bridge.

Some years ago I hired TROSA to help with a move that included a trip downtown. At some point while we were still on the freeway (them in their truck and me in my car), they tooted their horn, drove up alongside me, and gestured toward the "minimum clearance" sticker behind the passenger door.

"Got it," I signaled with a thumbs-up. And we happily went detoured on Pettigrew.

Speaking of this intersection -- I hope that the blackberry bushes are still around in June. Somebody chopped down the great big grove alongside the train tracks between Erwin and Swift.

[Alan]

I was nearly in an accident at this very spot, going in the other direction, the weekend of Full Frame. A rental truck going down Chapel Hill St. on its way downtown sheared off its right side. I was a couple cars behind; we were all a-ok.

[Toby]

Another dose of prevention, which I've seen deployed on Storrow Drive in Boston (and maybe on Campus Drive on East Campus?): a metal warning sign that hangs down at the approach to the low overpass, the bottom of which is a couple inches lower than the overpass height. The top of a too-tall vehicle will bang into the metal sign, warning the driver of the imminent problem. Makes a heckuva noise and leaves some minor scratches on the roof of the vehicle, but usually prevents that sardine-can effect.

[Micheal]

I would like to point out that about 6 years ago there was a different sign there; one that didn't have an arrow. One of my drivers was following the "truck route" and ran into the bridge. I drove out to the accident and saw the sign; and thought that was stupid to direct the trucks into a low bridge.

The problem is with driver turnover. By the time you have a driver trained on a route with directions and the lay of the land, they quit.

I remember a few years back going to work one morning and saw an N&O truck parked squarely under the bridge by Brightleaf. There were newspapers everywhere. Those drivers travel the same route everyday, I think the regular driver had quit or called in sick.