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Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass

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11 foot 8 Bridge
The warning signs and flashing lights at the Gregson Street Railroad Bridge, which are frequently ignored.
Coordinates35°59′57″N 78°54′37″W / 35.99911°N 78.91014°W / 35.99911; -78.91014
CarriesAmtrak passenger service and Norfolk Southern freight service
CrossesSouth Gregson Street
LocaleDurham, North Carolina, U.S.
Official nameNorfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass
Other name(s)Canopener Bridge
Named forTearing the roofs off trucks
OwnerNorth Carolina Railroad
Structure Number000000000630068
Website11foot8.com
Characteristics
DesignStringer/Multi-beam or Girder
MaterialSteel
Total length28.00 meters (91.86 ft)
No. of spans2
Clearance below11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
History
Construction end1940
Statistics
Daily traffic11,000 (2003) with 6% of truck traffic

The 11 foot 8 Bridge, also known as the Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass, located in Durham, North Carolina, United States, has attracted international media attention, including front-page coverage in The Wall Street Journal,[1] because it frequently tears the roofs off of trucks as they pass under the bridge. The media has focused on video clips of the crashes, which are posted on the Internet for public viewing.[2] This railroad overpass along South Gregson Street in Durham, North Carolina, provides only 11 feet 8 inches (3.56 m) of vertical clearance.[3] The 84-year-old bridge cannot be raised, because nearby railroad crossings would also have to be raised. The street cannot be lowered, because a major sewer line runs only four feet (1.2 m) under Gregson Street.[4]

Despite numerous signs and warning devices, a truck crashes into the bridge at least once a month. Most of the crashes involve rental trucks, even though the truck rental agencies warn renters about the under-height bridges in the area. Jürgen Henn, who works in a nearby office, mounted a video camera to record the crashes. Since April 2008, he has recorded over 100 crashes, and posted them on YouTube.[5] In less than a year after installing his camera, the videos attracted the attention of a local TV station,[6] and eventually progressed to international media attention.[1] The bridge is only one of several under-height bridges in the area that cause truck crashes;[7] however, the videos became viral, and brought this particular bridge to international media attention.

As of January 2016, there have been no fatalities and only one minor injury at the bridge, leading officials to concentrate on more urgent safety issues.

Official actions

The state of North Carolina owns all the shares of the North Carolina Railroad Company, which owns the land and the bridge. North Carolina Railroad owns no rolling stock, but leases tracks to Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Railway.[8] A heavy steel crash beam protects the bridge from over-height trucks, but does nothing to prevent crashes or protect the trucks. The crash beam was hit so often, that it had to be replaced at least once.

The Transportation Department of the City of Durham maintains Gregson Street, which runs under the bridge. The city installed height detectors on Gregson a block before the bridge. When an over-height truck passes by the detector, yellow warning lights flash to alert the drivers of trucks that will not clear the low underpass. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to heed the warnings, and crash into the bridge.

A solution to the problem is complicated by the location of Peabody Street, which runs parallel to the tracks, and intersects Gregson, just before the bridge. Not all truck traffic traveling on Gregson will continue under the bridge. Some large trucks must turn right onto Peabody to make deliveries to businesses on Peabody. Over-height trucks must be allowed on Gregson, as long as they turn just before the bridge.

A traffic signal at the intersection of Gregson and Peabody was installed in April 2016.[9] When an over-height truck approaches the intersection, the light turns red, and stays red for a long time. The city hopes the long delay will give drivers of over-height trucks time to realize their truck will not fit under the bridge. However, another truck was filmed getting stuck under the bridge on July 6, 2016.[9]

Priorities

In 2014, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division and the City of Durham began a "Traffic Separation Study" of 18 rail crossings over a 12-mile (19 km) section of the railroad. Gregson Street is in the middle of that section of track, but was not mentioned in the study. The study focused on eliminating at-grade crossings, not on fixing existing grade separated crossings. There have been four fatalities and 2 other injuries in the study area since 1991, compared to only one minor injury at Gregson, and the 11 foot 8 Bridge already provides grade separation at Gregson.

The study did recommend replacing the existing bridge at Roxboro Street, because it has a vertical clearance of only 11 feet 4 inches (3.45 m), and "Many trucks have gotten stuck under the Roxboro Street railroad bridge."[10] Local news has reported crashes at the Roxboro Street bridge.[7][11]

As of January 2016, recommendations made in the study have not been implemented.

References

  1. ^ a b Hooley, Danny (January 6, 2016). "A Little off the Top: Durham's 'Canopener Bridge' Makes the Front Page of the Wall Street Journal". Indy Week. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  2. ^ Gutierrez, Gabe (January 7, 2016). "This Bridge Continues Wreaking Havoc on Unsuspecting Truck Drivers". NBC Nightly News. NBC News. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  3. ^ Gibbs, Tamara (June 22, 2015). "Trucks Hit Same Durham Bridge Hours Apart". Eyewitness News. Durham, NC: WTVD-TV. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  4. ^ Mitchell, David (April 12, 2013). "Video: Trucks Smash into Bridge Time After Time After Time". Denver: KDVR-TV. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  5. ^ Cohen, Ben (January 6, 2016). "The Joys of Watching a Bridge Shave the Tops off Trucks". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  6. ^ Erin Hartness (March 18, 2009). "Man's videos span year of trucks hitting Durham bridge". WRAL-TV. Capitol Broadcasting Company. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Another Truck Slams Into Durham Bridge, Gets Stuck". Eyewitness News. Durham, NC: WTVD-TV. August 6, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  8. ^ Gary D. Robertson (November 26, 2012). "NC lawmakers seeking more from railroad company". The Daily Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC. Associated Press. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  9. ^ a b http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/news/2016/07/8/truck-slams-into-durham-s--can-opener--bridge-despite-new-warning-system.html
  10. ^ Matthew West (March 27, 2014). Traffic Separation Study (TSS) (Report). City of Durham, North Carolina. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  11. ^ "Tractor-trailer hits Roxboro Street bridge in Durham". WRAL-TV. Capitol Broadcasting Company. December 9, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
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