[article] Another truck strikes bridge

[Navan Junction]

Irish Times, Wed, Apr 26, 06

Dart services were briefly disrupted yesterday morning when a truck carrying a high load hit Custom House Quay bridge, according to Iarnród Éireann.

Yesterday's collision at 10.30am is the 71st time a truck has struck the bridge in the last 10 years.

It follows a similar incident this month in which an articulated truck carrying various parts of a tower crane managed to get wedged under the bridge at Custom House Quay.


Spokesman for Iarnród Éireann Barry Kenny last night described the Custom House Quay bridge as "the most-struck bridge in Dublin".

Dart services were delayed for 15 minutes as the bridge was surveyed to ensure that no serious damage had been caused.

"Truck-drivers are giving less attention to the height of the loads they are carrying, and this lack of attention is leading to these unnecessary incidents," said Mr Kenny.

"Drivers need to be aware of the height restrictions. It's basic rules of the road."

He added that the implementation of penalty points and a new rail safety Bill would make it easier for Iarnród Éireann to prosecute those who failed to take note of height restrictions.

Meanwhile at 4.15pm yesterday a 40ft truck overturned at the entrance to Dublin Port causing the East Wall Road to be closed off for a time. Derek Ryan of AA Roadwatch said traffic along the quays was "seriously affected".

© The Irish Times

[James Shields]

I know it's the truck driver that's at fault, but there seem to be a limited number of bridges that seem to be struck over and over again, with each strike causing delays on the train line. Wouldn't it be better to take a "prevention is better than cure" approach, and construct gantries in front of the most hit bridges?

This was done quite effectively when there was a height restriction at the Port Tunnel works.

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by lostcarpark

I know it's the truck driver that's at fault, but there seem to be a limited number of bridges that seem to be struck over and over again, with each strike causing delays on the train line. Wouldn't it be better to take a "prevention is better than cure" approach, and construct gantries in front of the most hit bridges?

Where do you think this is, Germany?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Irish Independent

Rail fury over truck bridge collisions
Paul Melia

IARNROD Eireann hit out at the stupidity of lorry drivers as figures revealed that some 691 "over-sized" trucks have hit railway bridges in the last five years.
A major accident is "waiting to happen" because of the alarming spate of accidents according to rail chiefs in Dublin and around the country.


So far this year there has already been 52 incidents.

They are now the main cause of delays on the Dart line.

Last night a frustrated rail spokesman said that unless truckers paid more attention to the height of their loads the potential for a "serious situation" existed.

In the latest incident yesterday a heavy goods vehicle struck the Customs House Bridge on the northside of Dublin, causing major traffic delays until it was removed. It was the 70th time the bridge has been struck.

"It's another example of gross stupidity on the part of the driver not being aware of the height of the bridge," the spokesman said. "This bridge is probably the most struck in Dublin.

"The potential is there for a very serious situation if structural damage does occur. If a train arrives, there's potential for a very serious problem indeed.
"On New Year's Eve 1975, a lorry struck the Clogh bridge five miles south of Gorey and five people were killed because of something like this." Since 2001, there have been 691 cases of over-sized trucks hitting railway bridges in Dublin city and at other locations.

The annual cost of inspecting bridges after accidents runs to €500,000 per year, but Iarnrod Eireann have also replaced bridges which have been repeatedly struck.

A bridge at Sixmilebridge on the Ennis to Limerick line was replaced in 2004 at a cost of €2m, while the East Wall bridge in Dublin was replaced in 2001 at a cost of €20m.

"We've improved our signage to show the height of the bridge. We've probably had a reduction in the number of strikes this year, and there's been a lot of investment in safety, but truck loads are getting higher and higher," the spokesman said. "If a bridge is hit, an inspection crew is dispatched to check and see if it is safe." But yesterday the Irish Road Hauliers Association claimed that the rail company could install a laser system where the height of trucks would be automatically read on the approach to particular bridges prone to accidents.

"Iarnrod Eireann have to wake up a bit," spokesman Jimmy Quinn said. "Laser readers could be mounted on the way to the bridge, say at Liberty Hall, and if the beam is broken, a stop sign would flash up and tell drivers to stop because their truck is too high."

Meanwhile, in a separate development, a 40ft truck overturned on the East Wall Road at the entrance to Dublin Port yesterday causing traffic chaos.

© Irish Independent 2006
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=13963

[ACustomer]

"Iarnrod Eireann have to wake up a bit," [trucker] spokesman Jimmy Quinn said. This must qualify Quinn for the Brass Neck of the Year award. WHat about his own dopey, lazy, incompetent drivers? Why is it not law to have the truck height marked in the cab as a reminder (as with Dublin Bus vehicles).

[Mark Gleeson]

Dublin Bus did gain a few single decker buses through the years so I'm sure its a safety step, that said the height is only obvious on the AV class bus

Issue is simple if you are the driver you are responsible for your vehicle no amount of gadets will stop these bridge strikes. The bridge heights are well known.

There have been far to many close incidents down the years, there was a very very close call in Dunleer some years back where the track shifted and a local IE staff member managed to stop an oncoming train with a hand lamp

With something like the loop line there is a train every 2-3 minutes during the rush hour odds are high a train will pass over before the call is received, thankfully the loop line bridge is unlikely to be damaged if struck

The big fear is a heavy strike on one of the 1834 built arch bridges between Pearse and Barrow Street that could shut the DART down for weeks

[Thomas J Stamp]

That bridge has the height restrictions in proper yellow and black flashing all over it, you cant miss the signs. This is entirely the fault of the truckers, and it of course dosnt just happen with railway bridges, the road bridge at Rathcoole was badly damaged two years ago by a truck whose load was too high.

the question is will IE launch a damages action against the haulage company concerned and, if neccessary, put them out of business as a result? Probably not, which is why it'll happen again and again. For examplle, the bridge at east wall which was replaced at a cost of €20million. Would I be right to assume that there was no single incident that caused it, merely an acculimation of incidents and therefore no inividual haulier could be blamed? Otherwise if it was one incident IE really should have gone after them.

[James Shields]

I agree the truck drivers are responsible for knowing the height of their vehicle, and no one else can be blamed. However, rather than waiting for a big strike to close the DART line, wouldn't it make sense to erect gantries before the most-struck bridges that would prevent an overhigh load from reaching the bridge? It's all very well to prosecute the drivers afterwards, but if a simple measure could significantly reduce the risk of tens of thousands of people being severely inconvenienced, I think that's worth doing. There are probably less than a couple of dozen bridges nationwide that account for 90% or more strikes, so it would take fairly minimal effort to cover off all of those, and it would be far cheaper than any laser measuring device.

There would still be some risk for arch bridges that a driver would make it through the gantry and mis-judge the centre line, but this simple measure would prevent a significant proportion of strikes.

I think the East Wall bridge was weakened by a number of incidents, but a significant reason for replacing it was to use a slimmer decked bridge that would give extra headroom for taller vehicles. There's an engineering report online that's well worth a read.

[Mark Gleeson]

The incident at Sixmilebridge was a single truck vs a bridge with no prior history. It happened when Bush was in town and diversions where in place, huge lumps of the arch fell

East Wall had to be replaced as it was suffering from cumulative damage

I'd love to see a big steel girder placed in advance but that would be somewhat unslightly on Custom House Quay

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Irish Independent

Another crash raises fears for bridge of sighs (and lows)

THE MOST bashed railway bridge in the country was hit again yesterday, prompting new local fears that pedestrians may die as a result of trucks overturning.

Iarnrod Eireann also warned of the possibility of a disastrous train derailment arising from a truck crashing into a railway bridge at the same time as a train is passing overhead.

Just two weeks ago a truck driver was fined €2,000 and got one penalty point for striking the Mountrath Road Railway Bridge in Co Laois.

Locals have been warning that it was only a matter of time before a truck overturned on top of pedestrians using the footpath under the bridge.

Yesterday morning, another truck crashed into the Mountrath bridge and became wedged when its trailer proved too high for the clearance height.

Three trucks crashed into the bridge because they were too high during one single day last month.

Joe McCabe, who lives close to the bridge, has formally complained to the authorities about the risk, claiming that work on the bridge has reduced the clearance height.

"This has to stop. Someone will be killed. Someone has to take responsibility. Surely there must be some way of informing drivers that their truck will not go under a bridge other than it turning over onto the path," said Mr McCabe.

"Kids could have been walking under the bridge. A truck could turn over onto them," he said.

"I want to ensure that when someone is crushed, my conscience will be clear because I will have done everything in my power to find a solution to this problem," he said.

"What completely dismays me is the fact that trucks which passed beneath this bridge before the beam was put in place are turning over now.
"Something must be done before a pedestrian is crushed," he said.

Iarnrod Eireann says a beam was installed to ensure a uniform height clearance of 14ft 1in which had not changed. New warning signs had also been installed.

It claims the responsibility for striking the bridge lies with truck drivers.

Barry Kenny, Iarnrod spokesperson, said they would be taking legal action against any drivers who hit the bridge. "We have erected warning signs and bash beams in front of the bridge. All the signs won't stop people ignoring the signage," he said.

Mr Kenny warned there was a possibility of a passenger train derailment arising from a truck bashing into a railway bridge. This happened in Gorey, Co Wexford, with the loss of five passengers' lives.

"With all the investment in rail safety, this is the one area going the wrong way because of third parties. There is the remote chance of a derailment," he warned.

Mr Kenny said he hoped the recent conviction sends a clear message to hauliers that they will now be hit in the pocket and on their licence if they recklessly drive without taking account of their load height or bridge heights.
Treacy Hogan

© Irish Independent 2006
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=14280

[Brian Condron]

Do they use any permanent sacrificial beams placed before bridges anywhere, like those used at the Port tunnel works when the temporary bridge was in place? Better having a truck strike a beam 10 odd metres before the bridge, rather than the bridge itself.

[Mark Gleeson]

The bridge in question is on what is the old Limerick road in Port Laois, its mostly houses on both sides until about 50m from the bridge where there is entrance on the left

The article does mention a bash beam being in place

Thankfully from a railway prespective there isn't a track on that span of the bridge

You can't miss all the low bridge warnings in Port Laois the place is full of them and M7 bypass has no limits

[James Shields]

They used to have them at East Wall before the new bridge went in there. However, in that case I believe there were serious concerns over the bridge structure, and there was a danger that one more strike could be it...

[Brian Condron]

Ah I know the place well, I believe I failed my driving test turning right at that location.

Is that the railway going down towards the sleeper factory?

[Mark Gleeson]

As far as I remember the entrance on the left of the bridge is into the IE compound where they used to make the sleepers.

The bridge can I think take 4 tracks but the span on the Portlaois side has no track, I think it was hit fairly heavily some years back and major works where required to fix it

[Brian Condron]

Come to think of it, I was in a car behind a truck which struck that bridge once. There are warning signs which tell trucks if they are too high, obvisouly this guy ignored them. And another time we were stuck behind a truck that got jammed under the other railway bridge on the Ballyfin road. Those two bridges have been struck regularly since I was going to school (about 10 years ago), you'd think the truck drivers would have copped on at this stage.

EDIT: spelling mistakes

[Mark Gleeson]

There are laser height beams fitted as well

[Mark Gleeson]

Can now confirm the bridge as the old N7 Portloais, R445, published clearance is 14'1" or 4.30m its restriction number 2 on the list, restriction 1 is the N80 bridge about 200m away which is only 13'5"

[Brian Condron]

What more can be done to prevent these bridge strikes happening, it's just a case of the drivers thinking "ah shure I'll be grand". I have argued against Irish Rail having to raise the bridge, as it is quite cleary signposted a long way in advance that these low bridges exist, and there are plenty of alternative routes. I don't think that the carriageway can be lowered much more without ramping the entire street, as it is already a bit of a dip under the bridge, and any more of a dip would be dangerous.

In this case I believe it is all down to the truck driver. How much are these people fined, and is it the company or the actual driver who bears the fine? Maybe the driver should have their license suspended for 6 months after a bridge strike, as they have not shown that they are competant to drive such a vehicle, if they do not know the height of it. Drivers must be shown that they shouldn't take the chance, and that they must pay for it if they do. Every strike means that Irish Rail engineers have to examine the bridge before a train can pass over it again, and this holds up the busiest inter city rail corridor in the state, costing a lot to the economy.

[Colm Donoghue]

It's not as busy as the loop line bridge at rush hour though. 19 trains capable of holding a thousand people each an hour....

funny story from a friend of mine on custom house quay waiting to cross to go to work in canary dwarf, truck hits bridge, load falls off truck, hits ground, shrapnel flies everywhere, none hits him. He quoted ezekiel ( ala samuel Jackson) all day.