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List of bridges known for strikes

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This is a list of bridges and overpasses whose low clearance causes a notable amount of accidents, also known as bridge strikes. Simply being struck by a vehicle is not criteria for inclusion on this list. To be included, the bridge should have a notable history of strikes.

Many countries establish minimum standards for the structure gauge of bridges. For example, the United States requires a height of 14 feet (4.27 m) for highway bridges.[1] Some vehicle standards are made to conform to these expectations. In much of the United States, the maximum height of a semi truck, in the absence of an approved overheight permit, is 13 feet, 6 inches (4.12 m).[2] Some bridges were built before the adoption of these standards, and are undersized. Accidents involving these bridges have spurred mitigation efforts, such as installing sensors and signs that warn drivers.[3] These efforts do not entirely eliminate strikes, prompting some efforts to increase the clearance height.[4]

Video of a bridge strike at the famous 11foot8 bridge in Durham, North Carolina.

Viral videos of bridge strikes have generated substantial public interest.[5][6] One of the most famous examples of this is the Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass, also known as the "11foot8" bridge, which was popularized by a YouTube channel.[7]

Bridges

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The bridges are listed in no particular order.

Name Opened Clearance Height Location Information
Concord Covered Bridge 1872 2.1 m (7 ft) Smyrna, Georgia, U.S. Bridge over Nickajack Creek. It is approximately 13 feet tall inside, however the entrance is only 7 feet.[8]
Mechanic Street Bridge 1862 2.4 m (8 ft) Lancaster, New Hampshire, U.S. Covered bridge over the Israel River that is open to automobile traffic. Most of the bridge structure is wooden, causing catastrophic damage when it is struck, necessitating closures for repairs.[9][10]
Onondaga Lake Parkway Bridge 1871 3.28 m (10 ft 9 in) Syracuse, New York, U.S. Railroad bridge that has been hit more than any other bridge in the US.
Montague Street Bridge 1914 3.0 m (9.8 ft) South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Rail bridge, part of the Port Melbourne railway line. Strikes of the bridge are the subject of a website, frequent local media reports, and a song.[11] A bus driver was imprisoned for injuring passengers by driving into the bridge.[12] The bridge originally had a larger clearance height, but the road beneath had to be raised due to flooding.[13]
Storrow Drive Overpasses 1951 3.20 m (10 ft 6 in) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Nine bridges cross Storrow Drive, a parkway operated by the Massachusetts DCR. The clearance heights vary, but the limit most often cited is 10 feet, 6 inches.[14] Part of the attention comes from the seasonal nature of the bridge strikes, given that in the late summer many college students crash moving trucks into the bridges when traveling to campuses.[15] Crashes and close calls often happen multiple days in a row. These accidents are called "Storrowing" or "Getting Storrowed".[16]
Bayswater Bridge 1910 3.8 m (12 ft) Perth, Western Australia, Australia A rail bridge owned by Western Australia's Public Transport Authority subject to substantial media coverage. At one point, signs marking the low clearance of the bridge fell onto a vehicle, damaging it.[17] The bridge was demolished in April 2023 and replaced by a new, taller rail bridge.[18]
Norfolk Southern-Gregson Street Overpass 1940 3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)


Before 2019: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)

Durham, North Carolina, U.S. Rail bridge owned by the North Carolina Railroad, subject of a popular YouTube channel and website created in 2008.[19] The height was raised by 8 inches in 2019.[4]
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge 1906 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) Long Grove, Illinois, U.S. Single-lane covered bridge over Buffalo Creek. The low wooden covering was added to protect the steel elements and limit truck traffic through the village. After being placed on the National Historic Register the bridge covering was damaged by an over-size truck which lead to the construction of a steel sub-structure.
Laurel Avenue Overpass 1903 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. Double-lane underpass near the historic Conemaugh River. The Laurel Street Overpass has received significant coverage in the Pennsylvania media due to its high number of accidents. It is estimated that the overpass is hit by tractor-trailers "at least once a month."[20]
Casho Mill Road underpass 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in) Newark, Delaware, U.S. Known for an unusual number of warning devices.[21] 39°40′34″N 75°46′26″W / 39.676°N 75.774°W / 39.676; -75.774
West Central Avenue underpass 3.84 m (12 ft 7 in) Delaware, Ohio, U.S. One of many underpasses known as a "can opener". Sensor-triggered signage installed in 2018.[22] 40°18′14″N 83°04′59″W / 40.304°N 83.083°W / 40.304; -83.083
North Washington Street underpass 3.4 m (11 ft) Tiffin, Ohio, U.S. One of many underpasses known as a "can opener".[23] 41°07′08″N 83°10′37″W / 41.119°N 83.177°W / 41.119; -83.177
Third Street underpass 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. One of many underpasses known as a "can opener". Southern of two adjacent overpasses.[24] 38°12′40″N 85°45′47″W / 38.211°N 85.763°W / 38.211; -85.763
Carters Creek Pike Railroad Bridge 3.30 m (10 ft 10 in) Columbia, Tennessee, U.S. Known as the "Carters Creek Can Opener".[25] 35°40′41″N 87°00′43″W / 35.678°N 87.012°W / 35.678; -87.012
East Maine Street bridge 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in) Enid, Oklahoma, U.S. One of many underpasses known as a "can opener". Bridge is painted with shark teeth, a graphic nicknamed "the Bridge Shark", to discourage overheight trucks.[26][27][28] 36°23′42″N 97°52′34″W / 36.395°N 97.876°W / 36.395; -97.876
Dr. Mendiguichía Carriche Avenue underpass 2.84 m (9 ft 4 in) Leganés, Spain Known as puente tragacamiones, the "truck-swallowing bridge", there is a local Facebook page dedicated to it.[29] 40°19′52″N 3°46′12″W / 40.331°N 3.770°W / 40.331; -3.770

References

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  1. ^ American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (1973). AASHTO: Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges.
  2. ^ "Trucking Legal Height Limits Map". Heavy Haul Trucking. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "Truck Slams Into Durham's 'Can Opener' Bridge Despite New Warning System". February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Durham's infamous 'can opener' bridge to be raised | CBS 17". November 1, 2019. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  5. ^ "A little off the top: Durham's "Canopener Bridge" makes the front page of The Wall Street Journal | News | Indy Week". January 9, 2016. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  6. ^ "Storrowed". Universal Hub. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  7. ^ "The Duke Employee Behind the 'Can Opener Bridge' Cam | Duke Today". November 10, 2021. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  8. ^ "New warning system installed at covered bridge that keeps getting hit by cars". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. June 20, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "People Won't Stop Smashing Into Lancaster, NH's Adorable Covered Bridge". Jalopnik. July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  10. ^ "MECHANIC STREET BRIDGE – New Hampshire Covered Bridges". www.nh.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  11. ^ "After 8 Months Dormant, The Awful Montague Street Bridge Has Awoken To Feed". PEDESTRIAN.TV. February 5, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  12. ^ Cooper, Adam (October 9, 2018). "Bus driver failed to see warnings before hitting Montague Street bridge, court told". The Age. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  13. ^ "Flood prevention at Montague". The Herald (Melbourne). August 9, 1934. p. 12. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  14. ^ "How to Get to the Esplanade from Boston". BostonZest. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  15. ^ Helper, Adam (March 16, 2021). "DON'T GET STORROWED / The Truck Height Limit On Storrow Drive In Boston | AdamHelper". Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  16. ^ "A look inside a Boston phenomenon: Storrowing". www.boston.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  17. ^ "The Bayswater Bridge fights back: Car left wrecked after sign falls on roof". WAtoday. May 31, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  18. ^ "Countdown on until we farewell the infamous Bayswater Bridge". METRONET. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  19. ^ "FAQ". 11 FOOT 8. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  20. ^ Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: A Bridge Too Low; Truck Hits Overpass In West End, February 19, 2013
  21. ^ Griffin, Krys'tal (July 14, 2022). "Those aren't wrecking balls. See the new effort to prevent crashes at Newark underpass". The News Journal. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Keeran, Joshua (July 24, 2021). "'Can Opener' incidents down". The Delaware Gazette. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  23. ^ Geftos, Tony (October 2, 2023). "Train bridge in Tiffin dubbed 'The Can Opener'". WTVG-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  24. ^ Staff (December 18, 2023). "Louisville's 3rd Street 'can opener' claims another semitruck". WDRB-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  25. ^ Davis, Chris (July 14, 2021). "The 'Carters Creek Can Opener' bridge continues to destroy trucks in Columbia". WTVF-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  26. ^ Mullin, Jeff (June 10, 2014). "Don't cross your bridges until they hatch". Enid News & Eagle. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  27. ^ Rains, Cass (April 25, 2017). "UPDATED: Truck strikes bridge on East Maine Tuesday morning". Enid News & Eagle. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  28. ^ Miller, Jessica (January 8, 2018). "City commission mulls preventing bridge accidents". Enid News & Eagle. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  29. ^ Susanna, Jaime (November 12, 2023). "El puente 'tragacamiones' de Leganés que los destroza cada dos por tres: no tiene ni cadenas para medir la altura" (in Spanish). El Español. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
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