Watch out for dodgy bridge signs

[alcam]

I've not watched the video and have no intention of doing so as these things just bore me. But as an ex-truck driver what I can they you is that in the UK any bridge sign MUST display a height at least 3" below the measured height.

Each authority apply their own minimum "clearance" so the actual height for the same bridge could vary greatly, So a 14' bridge in Cheshire could be signed at 13' and in Hampshire it could be 13'6" and Warwickshire it could be 13'9'

Then things get worse there are 39.37" in a metre, but most authorities use 39" for conversion while some use 39.37" some (to be safe) use 36"

So a discrepancy between feet and meters across the road network is inevitable.

But none of this is generally important in a motorhome or van as the number of bridge restrictions effecting these vehicles is minimum and the signs will always be on the safe side.

This becomes an issue with higher vehicles really, to the point that when running high abnormal loads we used to actually run the route in a van and measure the bridges ourselves in areas we hadn't been before (turning around in STGO Cat3 ain't a joke)

Out of interest the worse County for inaccurate bridge heights was Buckinghamshire by a mile.

Railway bridge at Cameron toll in Edinburgh gets hit by trucks about 3 times a year . Height is signposted before the roundabout that precedes the bridge .

 

[Robmac]

Some curved arches have a between arrow bar, cough cough, as seen in the video, jus sayin like.

Touché monsieur Bear!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

yovo68

The 11foo8 bridge is a railroad trestle over Gregson St in Durham, North Carolina and it has earned a reputation for for its rigorous enforcement of the laws of physics. No truck taller than 11 feet and 8 inches will pass under this stubborn piece of infrastructure. Period. On this channel we...

www.youtube.com

 

[Robmac]

Not tweaked at all, honest;

 

[Boris7]

Railway bridge at Cameron toll in Edinburgh gets hit by trucks about 3 times a year . Height is signposted before the roundabout that precedes the bridge .

No amount of signage can make up for pure stupidity.

In our village there’s a massive sign telling high vehicles to stop due to a low bridge, then a sign on the bridge, problem is the warehouse past the bridge has been rented by Amazon and their drivers seem to be blind and stupid.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

On approach to some low bridges, there are gantries with chains set to the bridge height, seem sensible to put them well before any bridge, so high vehicles have an opportunity to turn around or avoid them, if they put them right in front of a bridge, that seems a bit late, and maybe difficult to see, even, due to the number of bridge strikes.

 

[alcam]

Was heading for ferry through backstreets of San Giovanni(?) approaching a lowish bridge . Think sign said 3.2m . Local flagged me down , suggested I take different route . Apparently it was a good bit lower than 3.2

 

[GeoffL]

yovo68

The 11foo8 bridge is a railroad trestle over Gregson St in Durham, North Carolina and it has earned a reputation for for its rigorous enforcement of the laws of physics. No truck taller than 11 feet and 8 inches will pass under this stubborn piece of infrastructure. Period. On this channel we...

www.youtube.com

That bridge is now 12' 4" -- but they've kept the channel name. Meanwhile, in Cornwall, on the old A30, there's a bridge that's probably been hit as many times as the "eleven foot eight", and that's because there wasn't an easy way around. Thankfully, that section has now been dualled and the bridge bypassed for through traffic.

 

[YeoBlade]

What's NOW worrying me is do I remeasure my van with a metric or imperial tape measure,so I can fit under some of lower bridges

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I measured ours and put a Sharpie line across, and jsut wrote both on a card, and it's on the visor. We're 2.92

 

[colinm]

The signs for the low bridge at Baldock start 1.5 miles away on roundabout at Baldock services, it still gets hit on a regular basis.

 

[RichardHelen262]

Our motorhome is 2.9 metre high but if I approach a bridge that is 3.0 I don’t risk it and will turn around

 

[barryd]

Our motorhome is 2.9 metre high but if I approach a bridge that is 3.0 I don’t risk it and will turn around

I've had a few where I have got Michelle to get out and walk ahead to see if we will fit.

 

[Boris7]

Go on then, I'll give you a laugh on me.

When I first driving Trucks I like everyone else started with a 7.5tonner, for some reason early on I was given a brand new Mercedes 814 with twin sleeper cab and all the toys etc.

I went to a job in Cambridge and came across a lowish bridge, it was the only way in and out of where I had to go and looked too low. So I edged up to the bridge and slowly edged under, a driver coming the other way kept and eye on me and I got through without hitting the bridge.

I then dropped of the machinery I was carrying and headed out, I got to the same bridge and and slowed down, but kept going because I knew the truck fitted through, WRONG since I'd offloaded all the weight the steel suspension had gone up and BANG the brand new body had a bend in the front.

As if I didn't feel stupid enough some old boy driver then pointed out "you should have let the tyres down a bit son, then blown them back up with the airline and take off valve on the truck"

The rest of the time I drove for that company I had several vehicles up to 38t all with Bridget on the drivers doors.

 

[Robmac]

The rest of the time I drove for that company I had several vehicles up to 38t all with Bridget on the drivers doors.

 

[Wooie1958]

This one is on Lytham Road, Preston and is on a short cut that people use to get between Ashton and Plungington / Fulwwod.

 

[trevskoda]

Belfast broadway link m2/mi was made lower to under cut bridges, then the rain came, 30 million to install pumps, only the Irish.

 

[Boris7]

My Boss thought it was funny Rob, and I came to love it (NOT)

 

[barge1914]

This one was quite ‘interesting’ in a squeeky-bum sort of way.

 

[wildebus]

Our motorhome is 2.9 metre high but if I approach a bridge that is 3.0 I don’t risk it and will turn around

I really don't know what to make of this information and if I could go under or not and you would probably be the same?

My motorhome is 3.05 Metres high.... Can I or can't I??