This is a list of bridges and overpasses whose low clearance causes a notable amount of accidents, also known as bridge strikes. Simply being struck by a vehicle is not criteria for inclusion on this list. To be included, the bridge should have a notable history of strikes.
Many countries establish minimum standards for the structure gauge of bridges. For example, the United States requires a height of 14 feet (4.27 m) for highway bridges.[1] Some vehicle standards are made to conform to these expectations. In much of the United States, the maximum height of a semi truck, in the absence of an approved overheight permit, is 13 feet, 6 inches (4.12 m).[2] Some bridges were built before the adoption of these standards, and are undersized. Accidents involving these bridges have spurred mitigation efforts, such as installing sensors and signs that warn drivers.[3] These efforts do not entirely eliminate strikes, prompting some efforts to increase the clearance height.[4] Viral videos of bridge strikes have generated substantial public interest.[5] [6] One of the most famous examples of this is the Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass, also known as the "11foot8" bridge, which was popularized by a YouTube channel.[7]
The bridges are listed in no particular order.
| Concord Covered Bridge | 1872 | 7abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Smyrna, Georgia, U.S. | Bridge over Nickajack Creek. It is approximately 13 feet tall inside, however the entrance is only 7 feet.[8] | |
| Mechanic Street Bridge | 1862 | 8abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Lancaster, New Hampshire, U.S. | Covered bridge over the Israel River that is open to automobile traffic. Most of the bridge structure is wooden, causing catastrophic damage when it is struck, necessitating closures for repairs.[9] [10] | |
| Onondaga Lake Parkway Bridge | 1871 | 10feet | Syracuse, New York, U.S. | Railroad bridge that has been hit more than any other bridge in the US. | |
| Montague Street Bridge | 1914 | 3m (10feet) | South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Rail bridge, part of the Port Melbourne railway line. Strikes of the bridge are the subject of a website, frequent local media reports, and a song.[11] A bus driver was imprisoned for injuring passengers by driving into the bridge.[12] The bridge originally had a larger clearance height, but the road beneath had to be raised due to flooding.[13] | |
| Robert Parker Coffin Bridge | 1906 | 8feet | Long Grove, Illinois, U.S. | Covered bridge on Robert Parker Coffin Road in downtown village of Long Grove is open to automobile traffic. The bridge is made of steel beams and covered in wood planks. Minimal signage warnings and expect serious damage to the vehicle when hit. It has been struck on an average of once a week for years by straightbacks, semis, oil rigs, vans, delivery trucks, and even school buses.[14] | |
| Storrow Drive Overpasses | 1951 | 10feet | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Nine bridges cross Storrow Drive, a parkway operated by the Massachusetts DCR. The clearance heights vary, but the limit most often cited is 10 feet, 6 inches.[15] Part of the attention comes from the seasonal nature of the bridge strikes, given that in the late summer many college students crash moving trucks into the bridges when traveling to campuses.[16] Crashes and close calls often happen multiple days in a row. These accidents are called "Storrowing" or "Getting Storrowed".[17] | |
| Bayswater Bridge | 1910 | 3.8m (12.5feet) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | A rail bridge owned by Western Australia's Public Transport Authority subject to substantial media coverage. At one point, signs marking the low clearance of the bridge fell onto a vehicle, damaging it.[18] The bridge was demolished in April 2023 and replaced by a new, taller rail bridge.[19] | |
| Norfolk Southern-Gregson Street Overpass | 1940 | 12feetBefore 2019: 11feet | Durham, North Carolina, U.S. | Rail bridge owned by the North Carolina Railroad, subject of a popular YouTube channel and website created in 2008.[20] The height was raised by 8 inches in 2019. | |
| Robert Parker Coffin Bridge | 1906 | 8feet | Long Grove, Illinois, U.S. | Single-lane covered bridge over Buffalo Creek. The low wooden covering was added to protect the steel elements and limit truck traffic through the village. After being placed on the National Historic Register the bridge covering was damaged by an over-size truck which lead to the construction of a steel sub-structure. | |
| Laurel Avenue Overpass | 1903 | 11feet | Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Double-lane underpass near the historic Conemaugh River. The Laurel Street Overpass has received significant coverage in the Pennsylvania media due to its high number of accidents. It is estimated that the overpass is hit by tractor-trailers "at least once a month."[21] | |
| Casho Mill Road underpass | 8feet | Newark, Delaware, U.S. | Known for an unusual number of warning devices.[22] 39.676°N -75.774°W | ||
| West Central Avenue underpass | 12feet | Delaware, Ohio, U.S. | One of many underpasses known as a "can opener". Sensor-triggered signage installed in 2018.[23] 40.304°N -83.083°W | ||
| North Washington Street underpass | 11abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Tiffin, Ohio, U.S. | One of many underpasses known as a "can opener".[24] 41.119°N -83.177°W | ||
| Third Street underpass | 11feet | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | One of many underpasses known as a "can opener". Southern of two adjacent overpasses.[25] 38.211°N -85.763°W | ||
| Carters Creek Pike Railroad Bridge | 10feet | Columbia, Tennessee, U.S. | Known as the "Carters Creek Can Opener".[26] 35.678°N -87.012°W | ||
| East Street bridge | 11feet | Enid, Oklahoma, U.S. | One of many underpasses known as a "can opener". Bridge is painted with shark teeth, a graphic nicknamed "the Bridge Shark", to discourage overheight trucks.[27] [28] [29] 36.395°N -97.876°W | ||
| Dr. Mendiguichía Carriche Avenue underpass | 9feet | Leganés, Spain | Known as puente tragacamiones, the "truck-swallowing bridge", there is a local Facebook page dedicated to it.[30] 40.331°N -3.77°W |