11 FOOT 8 - The Canopener Bridge

03/18/2018 2018, military

Secret military equipment gets banged up at the 11foot8 bridge

Not even the U.S. military can sneak anything under the canopener. A military truck with some super-secret, tarp-covered gizmo attached to the top of the cab triggered the warning sign, but could not resist the “call of the canopener.” Tasty treat for the hungry trestle – or maybe just an MRE on wheels? [Edit 3/19] I received a communication from a source at the U.S. Army that “the tarp that struck the bridge was covering a weapons mount.” So apparently […]
Read More »
02/20/2018 2018, camper

Mobile health RV gets stuck under the 11foot8 bridge

Crash #2 today – a mobile mammogram machine has four A/C units surgically removed from the roof. I guess the driver really needs an eye exam?! And yes – I also need an eye exam, apparently! Ooops 🙂
Read More »
02/20/2018 2018

Foggy morning canopener truck crash at the 11foot8 bridge

Maybe the driver was a bit foggy about the meaning of the 11′ 8″ clearance sign, or the significance of the “OVERHEIGHT – MUST TURN” flashing signal? I don’t know, but he floored it and hit the bridge with his rental truck this morning.
Read More »
02/20/2018 2018

Some drivers get it, some don’t, at the 11foot8 bridge

Just five minutes in the life of a low-clearance train trestle
Read More »
01/04/2018 2017, extraction

New Year’s Eve Penske Peel at the 11foot8 bridge

On New Year’s Eve 2017, the bridge got another holiday feast, peeling the top off another Penske rental truck. The driver left the scene of the accident after a few Minutes and left the busted truck sitting there in the middle of a busy city road without hazard lights on or any attempt at securing the accident. Later, the Police had to extract the truck from under the bridge. Not sure what the deal was with that.
Read More »
11/02/2017 2017

Moving truck obliterated by the 11foot8 bridge

Today the driver of this moving truck tried to beat the light at the 11foot8 bridge and smashed his truck right into the canopener. Two passengers were injured and had to be taken to the hospital. One of the passengers hit the windshield with his head and cracked the windshield. This was crash #125 since April 2008.
Read More »
10/17/2017 2017, extraction, night crash

Truck runs light and rips off roof at the 11foot8 bridge

Another red-light runner last weekend tried to beat the light and got badly beaten up by the canopener bridge. This crash happened last Saturday, but I did not notice until a co-worker pointed out the debris to me this morning (Thanks, Gordon!).
Read More »
09/19/2017 2017, extraction

Speeding truck runs light and pops a wheelie at the 11foot8 bridge

On Sept 18, the driver of this rental truck ignored the 25 MpH speed limit and all low-clearance warnings only to provide a solid meal for our hungry canopener. The impact was so powerful that the truck popped a wheelie and tore off the entire roof, before getting jammed under the trestle. Police closed Gregson St for a short while until the debris was removed. Then they re-opened the right lane. The truck was stuck under the trestle for about […]
Read More »
09/19/2017 2017

Right turn was the wrong move at the 11foot8 bridge

Yesterday, a rental truck turned right from Peabody St onto Gregson St only to get chewed up by the canopener. The low clearance is clearly marked , but there is no height sensor and the bridge does ambush you a bit when you make that turn with a truck. To make things worse, shortly after the truck suffered the involuntary roof removal, it started to rain.
Read More »
09/19/2017 2017

Box truck tries to sneak under the 11foot8 bridge

Crash #121: on Aug 3rd this truck tried to sneak under the 11foot8 bridge, and failed like so many before. This actually happened the day before crash #120, but I did not find out until a fan pointed it out to me. Thanks!
Read More »
09/19/2017 2017

Clean hit at the 11foot8 bridge

A box truck from a restoration company may need a bit of restoration itself after hitting the 11foot8 bridge.
Read More »
06/23/2017 2017

Another rental truck bites the dust at the 11foot8 bridge

This rental truck triggered the red light and the warning sign, but was stopped behind a long line of cars. By the time the truck got to the bridge, the sign had already turned off again, and the driver had made good use of the long run-up to the bridge. Nice try, but did not quite make it all the way through. Crash #119.
Read More »