‘Can Opener’ bridge in North Carolina eats trucks despite new warning system - TomoNews

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA — A bridge in the Southeastern U.S. has been called the “Can Opener” for tearing through too-tall trucks unfortunate enough to pass under it.

The News & Observer reports that numerous trucks have crashed on the 11 foot 8 Bridge in Durham, North Carolina due to the vehicles exceeding the bridge’s vertical limit. The bridge can’t be raised because a railroad runs overhead, and the street can’t be lowered because of a sewer line directly below.

In an attempt to reduce accidents, North Carolina Department of Transportation authorities installed a new height detection system to warn trucks. The system uses lasers to detect when a passing vehicle is too tall and sends a signal to the bridge’s traffic system. A warning sign on the bridge flashes, telling drivers that they are overheight and should turn. Traffic lights also turn red immediately, and remain red for 50 seconds. Assuming the drivers notice the warnings, they can then turn to avoid a bridge collision.

However, despite the new technology, yet another crash was reported on July 6 and recorded on camera by Jurgen Henn of the 11foot8.com website.

The problem may be that even with height detection, the system is still largely based on whether drivers take heed of the warning signs.
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