A lorry became wedged under a Midland Metro bridge today – for the second time in a week – causing trams to be cancelled.
Parts of the bridge on Great Bridge Road, Tipton, fell into the street below after the crash
Trams travelling between Wolverhampton and Birmingham crossing the line overhead were cancelled for around half an hour, and other drivers had to use a diversion.
At least 20 trucks have become stuck under the same bridge in the past five years.
Firefighter Luke Handley, from Wednesbury fire station, said they were sent out to the accident at around 8.30am.
“It was a big wagon and although the cab missed the bridge, the back of it got stuck. This does happen at that site.”
A Wolverhampton office worker, who was among those forced to turn around when he arrived at the scene of the crash at about 9.30am, said: “There were bits of the bridge all over the road and it was quite worrying.”
No-one was badly injured in the accident, but firefighters called a structural engineer.
Another lorry was left teetering precariously on its side after also becoming stuck under the 13ft 6ins bridge exactly a week ago.
8 Comments
Not again!!
20 truck in five years.
I wonder how many of these drivers had white sticks or where foreign drivers?
Again lucky no one was injured.
It would be cheaper for the Council to put flashing lights along the bottom of the Bridge……Or is it too simple?
If so many incidents are occurring under this and other bridges, why don’t the local authorities do something about the problems?
The obvious answer to display vivid signs for truck drivers saying “NO HIGH VEHICLES” or lower the road which no doubt would result in the usual comment “but this costs money” or even place much lower ’shields’ before the bridges meaning any high truck would then ‘jam’ under the ’shield’ leaving the bridges undamaged! This would not then disrupt the rail or tram traffic overhead but still leave the truck driver to explain his stupidity to his company!
To do nothing, which is usual for our local authorities, will mean repeated incidents of this nature which in the long term will cost considerably more than any prevention beforehand!
Walsall Council have put up loads of bright and easy to spot signs at least on the Walsall side. Theres one at the bottom of Bradley Lane, another at the Oxford Street/High Road junction plus more nearer the bridge. Its not the council to blame for once, but the lorry drivers.
Yet again a lorry is stuck under the bridge on Great Bridge Road making 20 in the past 5 years. It also seems very strange that most of the accidents have happened to lorries approaching from the Tipton side of the bridge. An improved warning system should be installed before there is some serious injury or the bridge is demolished completely.
Perhaps as the bridge is, I believe, on the Sandwell/Walsall boundary neither council wants to take responsibility for any warning signs or share the cost.
Bill Green suggests lower level shields on either side of the bridge, which is a start.
However, there is an excellent, if more expensive, solution which I’m very surprised no one has suggested before. It is similar to the system used on automatic barrier railway crossings. Sensors are placed on either side of the bridge approx 50-100 yards before the bridge which activate the warning system if a vehicle approaches which is too high for the bridge. The warning system comprises of a siren, flashing lights and for good measure a recorded message saying “Warning, your vehicle is too high, stop immediately.”
I have only seen this system once many years ago and it was in Burton Upon Trent, if I remember correctly. Could both Sandwell and Walsall Councils look into this system please. It’s the type of system that no driver can ignore!
There are enough signs to warn drivers of this bridge!
I live a few hundred yards away, and as I turned out of my street this morning on the school run was shocked by the scene. I was one of the few who could get by before the whole road was disrupted, but I had to take another route home.
What shocked and annoyed me was that there were no warning signs were displayed to say the road was closed, everyone had to turn around once they got there, which was especially dangerous coming from the Tipton direction over the hump back bridge and no one could see the road was closed until they had come speeding over the bridge!!!
On the front of tonights E & S there is a picture of the the said lorry and bridge. There is a height of the bridge sign - this is on a flourescent background. The lorry has a British number plate. Surely the driver knows the height of his own vehicle ??
There r loads of signs…they just think they can squeeze through..I’ve ben behind them when they’ve done it.
Beyond belief if there are large signs to warn drivers.
Perhaps there should be another one put there saying “If you try to get under and fail you will be Banned from driving” Wow silly me!! this would be too long a sentence for them to read at 60mph.
I can see what will happen, the Council will spend TAX payers money to resurface the road under the bridge 2 feet lower!
Something needs to be done before innocent folk are injured.