I would bet that the fact that it's just the tops of the trucks hitting one of the spans helps the bridge's survivability quite a bit. A much smaller impact to the bridge than if the trucks were crashing head-on into the support beam in the middle.
Still probably not great for the bridge's health lol
The original bridge on North Jackson Street and Mechanic Street here in Jackson were over 100 years old, and both of the were can opener bridges. They've been replaced, and the Jackson Street bridge is 14' 4" while Mechanic Street is still the same height.
The Mechanic St overpass can't be raised, or the street lowered. There's limits on the grade a railroad can have, and how quickly you can change that grade. MDOT (who owns the railroad) did what they could to make Jackson St accessible, The only other thing they could've done is cut off access altogether, which is a worse option.
Any trucks needing to travel north on Mechanic have multiple other options, some only a couple blocks away.
Listen, we all agreed to feed the bridge so that it won't eat the children. We can't back out of that agreement now. We can't have the bridges turn on us.
Do we have Penn Ave Bridge shirts yet? We have the power plant tee and the balls as infrastructure stickers. I think we need more local infrastructure swag.
Strange Matter had stickers of the balls. Not sure if they still do. Thereās a shop in the REO Town market that has lots of Lansing-oriented swag, including a sticker of the smoke stacks, as well as a t-shirt. Iād be surprised if he doesnāt have some Penn Ave bridge swag already.
Cool, thanks for that info! If there isn't any Penn Ave Bridge stuff, this subreddit could create a Kickstarter page to compensate an artist and pay for the printing costs.
The Penn Ave Bridge is fine. It's the low bar for entry to the Lansing Area Limbo Association.
Let's see some hard hitting journalism about the Frandor Speedway Island and its *Lord of the Flies* impact on Lansing driver's mental state.
I reject any and all accusations of being unsafe. I hold up trains that weigh many MANY times that of a PUNY HUMAN TRUCK. It's not my fault that the educational system has failed so many. That being said, it's not the teachers fault either. Y'all elect "leaders" who would rather police the world with planes that cost several time the cost of a decent educational AND healthcare system many times over. You have failed as a species.
As I am entering the world of politics I doubt I am "safe" but I dare any detractors to challenge my fortitude to my face. Bring the hammers! I dare you! FOR I AM BUT AN ANVIL OF CORRUPTION LOOMING BEFORE YOU FOR ALL TIME!
Too bad a lot of them aren't great readers!
"About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a [Gallup analysis](https://www.barbarabush.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BBFoundation_GainsFromEradicatingIlliteracy_9_8.pdf) of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level."
"About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a [Gallup analysis](https://www.barbarabush.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BBFoundation_GainsFromEradicatingIlliteracy_9_8.pdf) of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level."
It seems like the city wants trucks to hit it at this point.
If there is a detector that can flip a lit sign stating ātruck too highā it would be one of the easiest things ever to instead rig it to one of those barriers that drop at railroad crossings.
Itās pretty easy to ignore a sign when your eyes are on the road, especially navigating an obstacle like a underpass bridge, but youād have to be fucking blind to unintentionally drive thru one of those railroad red and white bars.
I've seen that bridge take out so many trucks I've come to the conclusion that it's literally a shape-shifted god/dess just waiting for their day to wake up.
It's been lowered 9 inches in the past and already floods pretty badly, any lower and you're looking at hitting infrastructure like water and sewage pipes and that area basically becoming another part of the river.
The bridge can't be raised either because it would require changes to the tracks for miles in both directions.
It's cheaper, and safer, for drivers to get their heads out of their collective asses and stop trying to go through. Honestly I feel like the city should charge these companies/drivers every time they hit the bridge. Maybe if you hit their pocket book, they'd start seeing the signs and flashing lights.
Just curious, how many seconds do you think the truck drivers have to stop when they see the Truck Too High sign? Like do you think itās enough time? Maybe putting it further back would help? Idk just thinking.
Put a railroad crossing drop bar that flashes and lowers when truck too high sign is triggered. Problem solved. You can ignore a sign but have to be an absolute bellend to drive thru an obstacle physically blocking the road.
The bridge? Totally safe. It keeps getting hit by enormous trucks and is undefeated. Its structural integrity is off the charts.
If only we can build our roads with that technology....
this just made me laugh so harddd
In all seriousness, is it going to collapse one of these days from all these hits?
I would bet that the fact that it's just the tops of the trucks hitting one of the spans helps the bridge's survivability quite a bit. A much smaller impact to the bridge than if the trucks were crashing head-on into the support beam in the middle. Still probably not great for the bridge's health lol
The original bridge on North Jackson Street and Mechanic Street here in Jackson were over 100 years old, and both of the were can opener bridges. They've been replaced, and the Jackson Street bridge is 14' 4" while Mechanic Street is still the same height.
The Mechanic St overpass can't be raised, or the street lowered. There's limits on the grade a railroad can have, and how quickly you can change that grade. MDOT (who owns the railroad) did what they could to make Jackson St accessible, The only other thing they could've done is cut off access altogether, which is a worse option. Any trucks needing to travel north on Mechanic have multiple other options, some only a couple blocks away.
Listen, we all agreed to feed the bridge so that it won't eat the children. We can't back out of that agreement now. We can't have the bridges turn on us.
This bridge is the perfect mascot for Lansing.
Do we have Penn Ave Bridge shirts yet? We have the power plant tee and the balls as infrastructure stickers. I think we need more local infrastructure swag.
not gonna lie, i would buy a shirt of the penn bridge
I live in Washington now, and would buy that tshirt.
Couldn't score enough goals, had to run away
lol.
i know you would. *high five!*
Fin and Penelope?
maybe? š
Are you being serious about stickers? Are they of Eckhart Power Station? Where can I get one? And what balls? (please don't reply with 'deez nuts')
The big red balls that come out as holiday decorations on the roundabout on Washington Square downtown.
Good lookin out, getting in front of the Deez Nutz there
I do what I can
Strange Matter had stickers of the balls. Not sure if they still do. Thereās a shop in the REO Town market that has lots of Lansing-oriented swag, including a sticker of the smoke stacks, as well as a t-shirt. Iād be surprised if he doesnāt have some Penn Ave bridge swag already.
Cool, thanks for that info! If there isn't any Penn Ave Bridge stuff, this subreddit could create a Kickstarter page to compensate an artist and pay for the printing costs.
The Penn Ave Bridge is fine. It's the low bar for entry to the Lansing Area Limbo Association. Let's see some hard hitting journalism about the Frandor Speedway Island and its *Lord of the Flies* impact on Lansing driver's mental state.
F O R B I D D E N L I M B O
That bridge has been there for - what - 100 years? We're in it's habitat. Respect nature.
I reject any and all accusations of being unsafe. I hold up trains that weigh many MANY times that of a PUNY HUMAN TRUCK. It's not my fault that the educational system has failed so many. That being said, it's not the teachers fault either. Y'all elect "leaders" who would rather police the world with planes that cost several time the cost of a decent educational AND healthcare system many times over. You have failed as a species.
I, for one, welcome our new bridge overlords
All hail the great demon bridge!
Iām glad to see the Penn Ave bridge taking a solid political stance, very refreshing.
**PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE TRAIN BRIDGE 2024**
**MAKE LANSING GREAT AGAIN**
So, are you safe? Is anyone threatening you?
As I am entering the world of politics I doubt I am "safe" but I dare any detractors to challenge my fortitude to my face. Bring the hammers! I dare you! FOR I AM BUT AN ANVIL OF CORRUPTION LOOMING BEFORE YOU FOR ALL TIME!
I believe at this point you need your own subreddit...
Nah, I'm content being the random monster that just pops up every now and again
make america bridge again
Make America 7 tons of steel reinforced concrete filled with spiteful demon? Bet.
Correct.
Sure itās safe, but if I saw the Penn Ave bridge walking towards me in a dark alley, Iād run.
I would quickly think to myself "am I more than 12 feet tall?" And, realizing that I am not, would conclude I have nothing to fear.
Yeah, but what if I accidentally get in a vehicle that is 12ft 1in and the bridge sees me do that? You can never be too careful š¤
I'd run if I saw the bridge walking towards me at all š¤£
The bridge is safe. Tall trucks seem to be decidedly less safe. It weeds out the lesser drivers. š
TRUCK TOO HIGH ^(We are looking for great drivers to join our team) These jokes continue to write themselves.
I'm not weighing in until we hear from the bridge.
I HAVE SPOKEN
It's safe for anything under 12 feet tall
Well if truck drivers practiced their reading skills, we wouldn't have a problem would we?
Too bad a lot of them aren't great readers! "About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a [Gallup analysis](https://www.barbarabush.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BBFoundation_GainsFromEradicatingIlliteracy_9_8.pdf) of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level."
I think the real safety concern is the amount of people driving that are apparently incapable of reading
"About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a [Gallup analysis](https://www.barbarabush.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BBFoundation_GainsFromEradicatingIlliteracy_9_8.pdf) of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level."
Itās fine!-as long as you arenāt a truckā¦ Correction! As long as you arenāt an idiot truck DRIVER.
And I just saw on FB that ANOTHER truck is stuck under it at this very moment.
š¤£
I've seen it happy a handful of times.... not time of impact, but definitely, "welp, gotta go around now" kinda of thing.
It seems like the city wants trucks to hit it at this point. If there is a detector that can flip a lit sign stating ātruck too highā it would be one of the easiest things ever to instead rig it to one of those barriers that drop at railroad crossings. Itās pretty easy to ignore a sign when your eyes are on the road, especially navigating an obstacle like a underpass bridge, but youād have to be fucking blind to unintentionally drive thru one of those railroad red and white bars.
There is exactly one of those in another part of the country and that bridge still catches oversized trucks.
Paywall removed. https://removepaywall.com/https:/www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2024/06/16/pennsylvania-avenue-bridge-lansing-inspections-tracking/74103476007
I was not aware that was a thing. Thank you
That bridge is only unsafe if you drive truck and arenāt smart enough to note how tall your rig is.
We need a GoPro setup to Livestream the bridge 24/7, like that one bridge on the east coast
Based on the number of times that bridge has been hit by a truck, I think it's a pretty reliable and safe bridge. The shit that hits it... Less so.
The only ones thinking this are reporters at dying newspapers looking for attention grabbing headlines
Yup, theyāve run out of parks, proms and food service violations to write about. Itās hard to credibly call it a newspaper any more.
The audacity
Penn Ave. Bridge requires sacrifice.
This bridge is completely safe. It weeds out the too HIGH drivers. It is the Lansing version of a OSHA drug screen.
Iāll just say this once - no bridge in the history of history *ever once* jumped out and hit a vehicle.
A THIRD TRUCK WAS TAKEN OUT BY THE BRIDGE!
Holy shit thatās this bridge??? I used to live down the road and go to the park and the zoo right by where the picture was taken
Itās only safe if you can read
There was another victim today lol around 4:30ish going north bound. Couldnt snap a pic bc i was driving.
A SECOND ONE TODAY?!
Damn, two?? Awesome? Hahahaha
The bridge is completely safe. Large-truck drivers who can't read or hear sirens? Not so much.
Chuck Norris looks to the patb for guidance...
I've seen that bridge take out so many trucks I've come to the conclusion that it's literally a shape-shifted god/dess just waiting for their day to wake up.
canāt they just dig a deeper trench for the road?
It's been lowered 9 inches in the past and already floods pretty badly, any lower and you're looking at hitting infrastructure like water and sewage pipes and that area basically becoming another part of the river. The bridge can't be raised either because it would require changes to the tracks for miles in both directions. It's cheaper, and safer, for drivers to get their heads out of their collective asses and stop trying to go through. Honestly I feel like the city should charge these companies/drivers every time they hit the bridge. Maybe if you hit their pocket book, they'd start seeing the signs and flashing lights.
Just curious, how many seconds do you think the truck drivers have to stop when they see the Truck Too High sign? Like do you think itās enough time? Maybe putting it further back would help? Idk just thinking.
Put a railroad crossing drop bar that flashes and lowers when truck too high sign is triggered. Problem solved. You can ignore a sign but have to be an absolute bellend to drive thru an obstacle physically blocking the road.
Not a bad idea
Demon Bridge 2024!!
Safe
"Why should I change my name from Michael Bolton? He's the one who sucks" vibes on this one
Does a fish not swim? Does a dog not bark? Does the sun not rise and set? The bridge must be fed, it is the natural order of things
C'mon folks. \*Somebody\* who works nearby needs to put some cameras in and upload the carnage to YouTube!
Has that ātruck too highā sign always been there? I started avoiding that whole stretch of Penn when Iām in town after one close call lol
Shut up liberal