2 More Trucks hit the Glenville Bridge Tuesday, What’s Being Done?
Yes, two more vehicles - and almost a third - fell victim to the infamous Glenville Bridge on Tuesday. The bridge, which carries trains over Glenridge Road, has been struck by numerous large trucks and tractor trailers over the years.
CBS 6 reported from the scene on Tuesday, where two trucks slammed into the bridge within 20 minutes of each other. Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle police were on the scene helping one truck when another crashed. Soon after, he said, an RV came close to meeting its demise, but was able to stop ahead of time.
Bridge clearance is ten feet eleven inches and despite warning signs, flashing lights, and - in today's case - police already on the scene, nothing seems to be working. Today's crash is the third in the month of June alone.
The reason for the stalemate between the bridge and large trucks is the fact that the road is under the care of the state DOT, while the bridge is own by a Canadian company. The town of Glenville does not have jurisdiction over either.
The state DOT says it is trying out a type of laser warning technology that would alert oversized trucks about the danger ahead, but Supervisor Koetzle is skeptical:
... but that costs millions of dollars and there's no guarantee that they're gonna notice the lights.
Koetzle went on to say that even if somebody stops short of the bridge, that still blocks traffic - and will for a while - as the vehicle attempts to turn around.
However, there is some construction underway that could help alleviate some crashes. A turnaround area is being built on the westbound side of Glenridge Road that they hope will encourage oversized vehicles to take another route instead of risking going under the bridge.