Tractor trailer, Storrow Drive, what could go wrong?

Chris W. reports Storrow inbound is shut past the Doubletree, thanks to a tractor trailer whose driver seems to have lost the ability to read.

UPDATE, 3:50 a.m.: NEFirebuff reports another truck managed to get itself stuck at the BU Bridge eastbound.

Comments

For the fiftieth frickin' time

BIGGER SIGNS. ORANGE SIGNS.

Better yet

A device which senses an overheight vehicle and then sends a text message.

Seriously - that would be about all that might work. People who don't bother with the signs (GPS users, perhaps)won't pay any attention to even bigger ones.

text message?

who would receive the text?

I think she meant

I think she means that there would be a sign which would light up with a message like " Warning-Overheight vehicle" I've seen such things on the Merrit parkway in NY

I disagree.

No, I'm pretty sure she meant a cellphone text message. Especially since Storrow Drive already has signs that light up with messages:

http://g.co/maps/znedq

Interesting. What do you

Interesting. What do you think activates the lights on this sign? I can't see any sensors.

Impact?

pathetic signage

BINGO! The warning signage is way too minimal (and embarrassingly/pathetically non-uniform) for such dangerously low overpasses. The signage needs to scream at drivers with size, color, and font.

I completely agree. However, the issue of inadequate signing

won't be solved until we can convince the preservationists that we are no longer living in the 1940s and that proper signing is more important than an asthetically pleasing "parkway" environment.

Aesthetically pleasing?

So these preservationists are miffed about a big colorful sign? Did they not notice the big highway blasting through the Esplanade?

Or are highways now historic landmarks? Can't wait to see them on UNESCO world heritage list.

It's no joke

http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/downloads/manuals/HPguidelinesfinal.pdf

And yes, both Storrow and Memorial Drives are subject to these guidelines.

Yes, some highways are historic landmarks

The Merritt Parkway in Connecticut is one. Not on UNESCO's list but on a US federal list.

http://www.historicroads.org/sub1_3.htm

(I'm surprised that the Mohawk Trail, Route 2 from Greenfield to North Adams, isn't on this list.)

This was the 2nd one this

This was the 2nd one this week, it stopped right before the train tracks at the BU bridge

This is an indication of just how bad the economy is

All those BU and MIT students who usually do this to us in September have graduated, and are clearly taking truck driving jobs in this tough economy.

A couple questions: How do

A couple questions:

How do they clear these trucks off of Storrow after the accident?

Is the driver fined/billed for the cleanup and general aftermath?

Back em up down one lane. as

Back em up down one lane.

as for costs, I think I remember reading the city fines them to recover some costs, but not totally sure.

Assuming the truck isn't destroyed in the impact

with the overpass, the usual method of removing it is to deflate the tires and back it out.

The truck driver is cited and fined, and his company is billed for cleanup/damages as well. Plus, the chances are pretty good the driver will lose his job as well (insurers are picky about things like that), and the incident goes on his driving record.

Additional Deliveries?

We have been seeing rental trucks delivering packages for UPS, FedEx, etc.

Are these additional drivers/deliveries for Xmas? If so, it sounds like we have a good crop of out-of-towners using their car GPS units.

I don't think they could change the road

The idea of both Storrow and Memorial Drive is to have a truck free area for car drivers. I also wonder if considering the road is built on fill would it be possible to dig further down and lower the road. Even if they could, it is still nice to have a few truck free roads in the area.

The road signs use to have chains hanging down that made an awful racket when they hit the top of a truck. That and a few massive bells.

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