The 11 foot 8 bridge strikes again (and again)
Friday, 5 November 2021
We have written before about the legendary low bridge at the intersection of Gregson Street and Peabody Street in the city of Durham in North Carolina in the USA that is famous the world over for opening up the trucks and RVs of unwary drivers like a hungry bear on a tin of corned beef, but we think this recent effort is one of its best yet.
In the video (captured earlier this year) we see the usual set up: a large box truck approaches the bridge at speed, totally oblivious to the warnings and looks set for the sudden and unexpected stop that we have become accustomed to.
But this time the truck doesn’t come to a screeching halt, as it is clearly almost low enough to make it under.
Not quite low enough though, as the bridge peels the roof off the box with a laser-like surgical precision and the truck continues, perhaps with the driver even thinking they got away with just some nasty scrapes on the roof… or out of shame.
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The bridge has its own website and YouTube channel after Jürgen Henn, who works at an office with a view of it, set up some cameras to capture all the metal-shredding action he witnessed on a regular basis.
So regular, in fact, that since Henn set up the cameras in 2008, he has posted a staggering 173 videos, or more than one a month.
It would seem possible that the drivers perhaps think that the yellow bar in front of the bridge is one of those ones on chains – like the entry to car parks that you can slip under with them sliding along the roof – but it is very solid indeed, and is there to prevent high vehicles actually hitting the bridge.
The rail bridge was built before minimum heights were an issue – around 80 years ago, according to the website – and, remarkably, it was even raised 8 inches in 2019, leading Henn to think his videos were at an end.
However, that proved to not be the case and the bridge continues to open up trucks on a regular basis – so it’s now technically the 12 foot 4 bridge, but Henn has updated the website to be the “11foot8+8 Bridge”.
Given its infamy in the area (and, indeed, the world) and the number of warnings present – apparently the three intersections before the bridge have warnings – you really do wonder how the accidents keep happening.
But given the lack of injuries and the sheer entertainment value it provides, we are very amused that they do.