The toughest bridge in the world

[bigredbird]

But the city did everything reasonable in this situation IMO, they put signs for 3 blocks before, they put an overheight sensor to flash the lights if the vehicle is too tall, and they lowered the speed limit to 25mph.

But they didn't put 25MPH safety bumpers with foam padding on the bridge. And there's no sign clearly warning truck drivers, "Failure to follow safety precautions may result in serious truck injury or death." So there's clearly a class-action lawsuit just waiting to be filed here. :grin:

 

[99ss]

I was kidding btw...LOL
but seriously you have to be a dumbass to hit that with an overtall load, if you cant pay attention you shouldnt be driving

 

[70rr-brian]

I agree about being a dumbass hitting it. But it does not excuse 100 years of ignoring the problem. I realize realistically this hasn't been a problem for 100 years but it has been for 70 years give or take. Most of the trucks that hit that were Ryder rental trucks. These people, by in large, are not accustom to driving anything taller than an SUV. It just doesn't register with most people to be concerned about height issues especially when they probably passed under 1000 underpasses on thier way to that one. My point in all this is these were issues all across the country over the last 70 years. And by in large most of those have been addressed. The economy hasn't always been ****. There have been a LOT of opportunities for Durham/NC to fix that and it is gross malfescence on the govt's part to have ignored it this long. This isn't podunk, wyoming we are talking about here.

And replacing a 100 yr old sewer line shouldn't ALREADY be on their radar? $1000 says if that sewer pipe ever burst they just dig up the road and replace it right where it sits and never address the clearance issue. Why? For the same reason they blacktop roads instead of using concrete. Its cheaper right now and the morons running the govt would rather do something short sighted and save a few bucks so they can misappropriate the taxes they steal from us in other asinine ways.

 

[Robert 96]

The railline doesn't need help. That is a well kept railroad. There was a crossing in Mississippi that had a giant sign that looked as though you might be going into a tunnel with a skull and crossbones warning lights and an air raid siren. When a train approached this thing went off with a bang. It was taken down in the sixties.

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Google Billups Neon Crossing Signal . I can't figure out how to post the picture but you won't believe it !!

 

[bigredbird]

Somehow, I'm thinking that even this would become just a regular thing that folks stopped actually seeing after a while.... The nature of human nature.

 

[Cranky]

Why would anyone want the bridge fixed (raised or lower the street)?? If it was fixed, then we wouldn't have anything to laugh or bitch about!!

 

[pabster]

Now this is a new one. I'm the socialist liberal around here, and I'm on the side of personal responsibility on this one. There are signs, lights, a sensor blocks before the bridge that flashes and lets drivers know they won't clear the bridge. It doesn't matter if you just picked up a huge rental truck, or if you've been driving big rigs for decades. If you can't get it though your head how tall your vehicle is, and that you have to be very mindful of clearance, then DON'T DRIVE A TRUCK! It is not the gvmt's responsibility to spend millions of dollars to prevent you from being a stupid idiot. Those dollars are better spent paying police/fire to save your *** from stuff much more dangerous than a low bridge.

Thanks for posting- I will think of this bridge's strength against adversity when I'm having a tough time...

 

[Cranky]

But you're from Nor Cal.....

 

[Budnicks]

You can't fix stupid..., just dumb-asses doing stupid things, the world is full of them... It's all the parties involved faults, the dumb-asses that can't read, pay attention to the road & the conditions around them or know how tall their vehicles are & the local govt. for not addressing the problem for years, common sense would say, "to fix an ongoing problem, eventually", but govt. & common sense don't mix, dumb-asses driving & common sense don't mix either... There will be & probably should be, a class action suit filed some day, because of second party liabilities, mark my words, it's a nation full of shyster corrupt lawyers & frivolous law suits, someone will capitalize on this idiocy... It's funny to watch thou... freaken' strong *** bridge, to stand up to all those collisions, every year, year after year, after years...

 

[Lowhound]

To all those thinking that the government should step in & lower the road a little...Remember this is OUR government,and lowering the road would be to in-expensive. The government would likely spend thousands more money & build a new bridge instead. Sometimes we must think like they do. Even if it gives us a headache.

 

[bigredbird]

The guvvament wouldn't build a bridge for a private-sector railroad.

 

[Robert 96]

Gotta love that baby! I can't believe the people of Grenada Mississippi put up with that air raid siren all those years.

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We had a bridge like that here in Cincinnati, actually several, in some cases the govt. fixed the problem and in some cases the bridges are still there doing their duty. Railroad bridges are some of the strongest structures you will ever find.