At xi pes 8 inches , the Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass , located inwards Durham , North Carolina , United States of America of America , is a flake likewise short. The federal authorities recommends that bridges on world roads should receive got a clearance of at to the lowest degree fourteen feet. But when this railroad trestle was built inwards the 1940s , in that location were no standards for minimum clearance. As a consequence , trucks would oftentimes hitting the twain as well as teach its roof scrapped off.
Durhan resident Jürgen Henn has been witnessing these crashes for years from across the street where he worked. Wishing to part these hilarious mishaps alongside the residuum of the globe , Henn fix a video photographic boob tube camera inwards Apr 2008 as well as began recording them for his always pop website 11foot8.com. By the halt of 2015 , to a greater extent than than 1 hundred trucks had their tops violently ripped off. These scalping videos , which are also available on his YouTube channel , receive got racked upwards millions of views bringing this item twain —nicknamed ‘the tin opener’— a fair total of international fame.
The world’s largest ‘can opener’. Photo credit: Mark Clifton/Flickr
As Jürgen Henn explains inwards his website , the twain cannot hold upwards raised because doing as well as thus would bespeak the tracks to hold upwards raised for several miles to accommodate the incline. North Carolina Railroad doesn’t desire to pay for the enormous expense it would entail. The twain cannot hold upwards lowered either because in that location is a major sewer describe running exclusively iv feet nether the street.
Instead , the metropolis authorities installed an alarm organisation that detects when an over-height truck tries to transcend nether as well as flashes yellowish warning lights several feet ahead of the bridge. But many drivers either practise non pay attending or neglect to psyche the warning , as well as crash into the bridge. The railroad subdivision , who owns the twain , installed a heavy steel crash beam inwards front end of the twain that takes nearly of the acquit upon , protecting the actual construction of the develop trestle. This crash beam is hitting as well as thus often that it had to hold upwards replaced at to the lowest degree once.
As far every bit both parties are concerned —the metropolis of Durham as well as North Carolina Railroad— adequate steps receive got been taken to solve the problem. The railroad authorities' work concern is alongside the twain as well as the rails to a higher house , non the trucks. Hence , the beam. The metropolis , on the other manus , has posted prominent “low clearance” signs from iii blocks away leading upwards to the trestle , over as well as to a higher house the automatic warning organisation that is triggered past times vehicles that are likewise tall.
Apparently , these measures are non plenty to forestall accidents. On average in that location is 1 crash every month.
When Henn interviewed a few drivers every bit they deflated their tires to lower their vehicles plenty to costless them , to a greater extent than or less told him that they didn’t know their trucks’ heights , spell others insisted they didn’t run across the signs.
Durham officials are straight off trying out a novel tactic. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few months agone , they installed a traffic dot at the intersection earlier the twain , as well as hooked upwards the pinnacle sensor to it. When an over-height truck approaches the intersection , the lite turns ruby-red , as well as stays ruby-red for a long time. The lite eventually turns dark-green , but the metropolis hopes that the long delay volition give the drivers plenty fourth dimension to realize their truck volition non represent nether the bridge. Unfortunately for the drivers , as well as to the please of the residuum , the twain continues to shave the tops of over-height vehicles.
Here is a compilation of to a greater extent than or less of the best crashes. I bet you lot can’t lookout adult man this without laughing.
Photo credit: Mark Clifton/Flickr
Photo credit: 11foot8.com
Sources: 99percent Invisible / Citylab / Vox / Indy week / Wikipedia / 11foot8.com