Only the second crash this year at the 11foot8 bridge, but on July 6 a box truck driver ignored the warning signals and hit the crash beam of the Canopener bridge. Pieces of the roof were scattered all over the road!

So frequently do trucks crash into the 11-foot-8 clearance trestle, that the railroad company installed a crash beam in front of it. This massive steel I-beam bears the brunt of the impact, protecting the structure that supports this fairly busy railroad track.

Throughout history, trucks have gotten stuck under bridges and railroad trestles. Here is some evidence. Many thanks to Gary, who dug up these photographs.

On October 29, 2019 workers raised the 11foot8 bridge from the old, posted clearance of 11 feet 8 inches (3.55 meters) to a new (posted*) clearance on 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 meters). Here is a rough outline of the work that was done:

Feb 13, 2009 · The clearance signage displays a maximum safe clearance – and yes, in that sense it is accurate. The actual clearance of the crash beam right in front of the trestle is 11 feet 10.8 inches, which gives it a 2.8 inch safety margin.

11/11/2012 @ 4:53 pm · Log in to Reply Hey, like the new site. You may recall that you kindly gave me permission to use your videos in my truck driver training classes.

Jan 11, 2019 · Boxtruck crashes at 11foot8 and then hits another low bridge. 11/12/2018. Read more »

OVERHEIGHT MUST TURN from Hunter Atkins on Vimeo.. For the past ten years, Jürgen Henn has filmed over-height trucks crashing into the 11foot8 train bridge affectionately nicknamed the “Can Opener.”

Jul 7, 2016 · In May, the Dept. of Transportation installed a very nice LED blank-out warning sign at the 11foot8 bridge.The new sign is combined with a traffic light that stops traffic when an overheight truck approaches.

Jun 18, 2022 · Speeding truck runs red light and hits the 11foot8+8 bridge