Route 15 Wires down at Lehigh 10/5/2005

It finally happened (what took so long?), a truck wedged itself under the Reading (Conrail, Conrail SA, CSX, NS..or whoever they are) Railroad bridge this morning around 6AM.

Buses are currently running on detour routing from Cumberland to Madison loop. They are detouring around the bridge so they can extract the truck and assess damage to the wires. They are running shuttles with a combination of the normal Rt 15 Protect bus and Rt 60 buses on layover at Madison loop.

I should also note there was a heavy police presence at the scene. I'm hoping that means the culprit will be picking up the tab for the repairs.

From the picture on 6ABC's website, damage to the wire looks significant. It looks like it brought down the wooden framing along with the wire. I thought the ability to read the English language was a requirement for a driver's license?

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?secti ... id=3506417

I don't think reading English is a requirement for a commercial drivers liscense.

The manuals are available on the web site in English and Spanish - not sure what other languages PA offers. I know CA offers many. And since liscenses are recognized from one state to another .... not sure that PA would be able to enforce such a rule.

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/drivers_manual/index.shtml

drewh wrote:I don't think reading English is a requirement for a commercial drivers liscense.

My comment was meant rhetorically and sarcastically.......although since our official language is English, I at least HOPE it's a requirement.

How about this as a sign at Ricmond and Allegeheny and Richmond and Cumberland, NO TRUCKS ALLOWED and then tell the cops to enforce it.

Trolley service has been restored to Madison loop around 3pm this afternoon.

How about this as a sign at Ricmond and Allegeheny and Richmond and Cumberland, NO TRUCKS ALLOWED and then tell the cops to enforce it.

I had the same idea. A sign should be mounted on the traffic signal with a left arrow and a red line though it with some kind of wording that restricts trucks. There should be a sign at this intersection since all of the trucks are coming off I-95 anyway. They are obviously not getting the message with the current signage.

While they're at it, a left turn arrow on the SB side of Richmond Street would be nice since a good deal of the hold up at the intersection is cars waiting to turn to get onto I-95.

glennk419 wrote:although since our official language is English, I at least HOPE it's a requirement.

Since we have no official language in the USA, then it won't be a requirement of all licenses. If a state chooses to make it a requirment to drive, they can.

That said, didn't they install big steel bars under the bridge to prevent this from happening?

The damage to the wires wasn’t that bad. I walked down to the bridge about three hours after the accident and the wires were pretty much intact even though the supports were disconnected at the one spot. Amazingly, the driver said he did not see the huge red sign with the blinking strobe lights and did not notice when his trailer hit the hanging chains. Also, he was speeding way over the speed limit. I never saw a truck wedged under that bridge like he was. It appeared as if he knew he might not make it and tried to speed through. Too bad he was smart enough to wear his seat belt. That would have been a great sight seeing him fly through the windshield at impact.

Trucks hit this bridge about twice a week. When heading southbound, the clearance is a bit higher if you drive close to the sidewalk. I notice this maneuver many times by smaller delivery trucks that sit around the 12 foot mark. The idiot drives slowly into the first beam (slightly damaging the wires), backs up, and then drives through hugging the sidewalk - complete RETARDS.

As to the accident on the 5th, the driver is pretty much screwed. I heard the fine he has to pay will be in the thousands and I’m sure he will be fired. The truck was hauling a refrigerated trailer full of frozen chickens –which all spoiled. I’m sure with the fine, and the wasted load, he should have trouble finding a job driving again. But with the current need for truckers, he’ll be back on the road in a few months and will be that same retard who will flip over at an I-95 off ramp…..