As many as 70 trucks have crashed into Virginia Avenue Bridge in downtown Indianapolis in recent years, causing state transportation officials to mount a surveillance camera and plan to lower the roadway to avoid trucks hitting the overpass.
Last week state transportation officials released a video montage of surveillance footage, showing trucks slamming into the bridge over and over and over again.
The Virginia Avenue Bridge isn’t the only one taking a beating, as several overpasses in the area have been clipped hundreds of times, according to a CBS news report.
“More than 400 collisions have been recorded at seven city street bridges over the I-65/I-70 ‘South Split since 1999, and the frequency and severity of vehicle-bridge strikes has increased in recent years,” said Nathan Riggs, spokesman for the Indiana Dept. of Transportation.
Since repairs after a Feb. 22 crash, the northbound lanes under the Virginia Avenue Bridge has had a clearance of only 13 ft., 11 in. The southbound lanes, where the camera is located, has a posted clearance of 14 ft.
The repair project will increase the vertical clearance at seven area bridges to at least 14 ft., 9 in. by reconstructing and lowering a half mile of interstate pavement.