VIDEO - Low Bridge!

VideoMeet Monty, a railroad underpass in Melbourne, Australia that only has 3 m of clearance above the road surface. As you might guess, many vehicles greater than 3m high literally run into trouble at the underpass. This happens so frequently that there is even a website dedicated to keeping track of how many days have passed since the last crash!

 

Not to be outdone, the US has the 11foot8+8 bridge in Durham, North Carolina. Apparently the locals call it the Canopener for obvious reason.

While some commercial drivers do run afoul of both bridges, it seems that many of the vehicles that crash in these two locations are rentals. The drivers are not used to the added height and fail to take it into account when they approach. I can sympathize as I cleaned my sister's bike off the roof rack once entering the underground parking at a mall. I was used to the highest point of my vehicle being about 6" above my head and the bike being 3' higher than that just did not occur until after the crunch.

Drivers should know exactly what they need for clearance. No excuse.

One thing which many don't consider unless you live or have lived in a region where heavy snowfalls are common is snow and ice build-up. The sign may indicate you have 4.4m of clearance when the road is bare. So if you have ever wondered why the scrape marks at the entrance that is why.