The bridge measuring 11 feet 8 inches will be taller in the future, but not much.
North Carolina has a famous bridge. Although it isn’t known for its beauty or length, it’s an engineering marvel. However, we have to admit that it’s extremely strong. It can support the heavy trains that pass through South Gregson Street in Durham. Unfortunately, it has also been subject to numerous collisions by drivers trying to drive underneath it. We are referring to the 11-foot-8 bridge. It has its own website. There have been many viral crashes videos on YouTube . It won’t be for long.
According to Huffpost.com, a bridge construction project is scheduled to start on October 23rd – that’s tomorrow as of this writing – and end on November 5. You’re right if you think that this seems like a small amount of time to do bridgework. The report states that the bridge will be only eight inches raised. This is not going to alter the local landscape.
Why is it so small? It seems that it can only go so far without interfering in the gradient of the tracks around it. This would require a larger construction project. The North Carolina Railroad Company will pay the entire cost of the minor upgrade, which is $500,000. It’s not like no efforts were made to keep tall cars away from the bridge. A laser-sighted warning system flashes warnings to vehicles approaching it and triggers a red signal. Although the added measures have reduced the number of accidents and dumbassery, even a few weeks ago, poor decisions by drivers were still affecting the span.
It is not clear if eight inches will make any difference to the number of collisions at the bridge. Trucks are permitted to operate at 13 feet 6 inches without special permits. However, the majority of the victims are renting box trucks. Some smaller trucks may be saved by the extra height, but any truck over 20 feet will likely not fit.
Also, expect a new 12 foot-4 website soon with more eye-roll-worthy collisions.