Semi Hauling Excavator Hits Bridge over I-10 in New Mexico

[pegarrett]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/10-west-near-lordsburg-closed-183814891.html

100% loss of prestressing strands in 3 of the beams. 40 strands per beam.

Apparently the semi was going 75mph at the time of impact.

 

[LittleInch]

That is unconstitutional. It is something you Europeans might not understand, it is the second and three eights amendment.

You're going to have to explain that one to me....

 

[Garbage1]

Interstate speeds in US are same for passengers autos and semi's, unless specified or signed differently, which does occur on mountain roads, and other locations. Would assume speed limit I10 may have been 70 MPH. What about German Autobahn rules on passenger vs semi trucks? In my one trip to Germany many many many years ago, I did not see difference between trucks and passenger autos? But that was many moons ago, and I don't even remember if I saw commercial semi traffic on autobahn?

 

[SWComposites]

Interstate speeds in US are same for passengers autos and semi's

ah, no. many states have lower speed limits for trucks, including CA. though it seems those lower truck speed limits are often not enforced.

 

[System Protection]

I checked a random spot on I10 on Street View and it showed 75MPH without a separate speed for trucks.

 

[Garbage1]

U.S. Truck and Auto Speed Limits

U.S. Truck and Auto Speed Limits in every state. Keep up to date on the latest changes and prevent tickets.

www.truckercountry.com

Everything causes Cancer and is Health Risk in California, therefore I never use California as reference for majority of States. Link above provides State by State data.

My State snd nearby States are same for Trucks and passenger autos.

Years ago whennI traveled a lot, I did not see as big a disparity as today. But since the 55 MPH limit days on interstates, I see a lot has changed.

New Mexico Speed Limit on Interststes is 75, so looks like trucker was not over general speed limit in NM. However, posted below says speed trap limit of 65 at that exit.

A quick scan of list, indicates only about 3 out of 50 states restrict truck speeds generally lower than passenger autos. At least one state has exception if Hauling Haz-Mat.

 

[tdmidget]

Interstate speeds in US are same for passengers autos and semi's, unless specified or signed differently, which does occur on mountain roads, and other locations. Would assume speed limit I10 may have been 70 MPH. What about German Autobahn rules on passenger vs semi trucks? In my one trip to Germany many many many years ago, I did not see difference between trucks and passenger autos? But that was many moons ago, and I don't even remember if I saw commercial semi traffic on autobahn?

Speed limit at exit 24 is 65 for all vehicles. This is speed trap here, locals rake in one after another. If stopped, don't take off your seat belt to get your wallet out, they'll charge you with no seat belt. Las Cruces is pretty bad , too.

 

[EdStainless]

They get real prissy about permits for excess length and weight, but they often don't even ask about height.
My last fun one was shipping boxes of tubing that were 116' long.
It was easy to find trailers, we used the same ones that they use for wind turbine blades.
But permits and routing was another issue.

 

[Bendolfc]

Do American trucks have a requirement for the height to be measured and set on a plate in the cab?

Mind you, doesn't tend to stop bridge strikes over here either.

 

[IRstuff]

Do American trucks have a requirement for the height to be measured and set on a plate in the cab?

Mind you, doesn't tend to stop bridge strikes over here either.

That would seem to only apply to the carrier itself, and not the cargo; can't imagine having a new plate in the cab for every new job.

 

[Bendolfc]

That would seem to only apply to the carrier itself, and not the cargo; can't imagine having a new plate in the cab for every new job.

No new plate required, just scroll through the digits and set at the current height of the load.

 

[IRstuff]

No new plate required, just scroll through the digits and set at the current height of the load.

Doesn't seem to address the problem of driver inattention or forgetfulness. Presumably, the driver should have known the height of their load at the trip's outset.

 

[waross]

A quick move by the lowest bidder without permits.
The machine may have belonged to a subcontractor who was minimizing expenses.

Interstate speeds in US are same for passengers autos and semi's, unless specified or signed differently,

In some states they are signed differently.
That is what "Posted speed limit" means.
Also some states have lower night time limits.

 

[IRstuff]

Lots of places where anyone towing is limited 55 mph

 

[Garbage1]

 

[Bendolfc]

Do you have to park up to digest that sign? That's absolutely ridiculous.

 

[IRstuff]

At least they're mostly in 30 minute chunks; nevertheless, the usual admonition of "When children are present" seems to be sufficient for most jurisdictions.

 

[GregLocock]

Although that is nuts, in Vic, Aus, we merely shut the roads down (40 kph limit) from half an hour before final bell to about an hour after it. This applies to main roads as well. So you can hve 6 lanes of traffic crawling along with nary a schoolchild in sight.

 

[JStephen]

"So why is the bridge warning at 16ft 9 inches when this is above the max clearances and 2 feet 9 above max vehicle height??"

Most bridges like this will have signs showing the clearance, not just "low" bridges. That height is probably pretty typical for other bridges up and down that stretch of freeway.
How this would generally work, you'd have to go to the state and get a special permit for overwidth/overheight/overweight, and it would dictate the route to be used and times travelled. For a load that high, they might also require an escort vehicle. He could possibly have exited there and gone around that bridge.
Hitting something that high, you could also catch overhead wires in some places.

 

[LittleInch]

"So why is the bridge warning at 16ft 9 inches when this is above the max clearances and 2 feet 9 above max vehicle height??"

Most bridges like this will have signs showing the clearance, not just "low" bridges. That height is probably pretty typical for other bridges up and down that stretch of freeway.
How this would generally work, you'd have to go to the state and get a special permit for overwidth/overheight/overweight, and it would dictate the route to be used and times travelled. For a load that high, they might also require an escort vehicle. He could possibly have exited there and gone around that bridge.
Hitting something that high, you could also catch overhead wires in some places.

To be fair it looked to me that this was the first bridge over the interstate for many miles. Most of the other interchanges, the main road was the highest road.

 

[CWB1]

Its called outlaw trucking, bragged about by idiots until they get arrested. In the pic it doesnt appear that the boom is folded in and down as required for hauling. Its not uncommon for drivers moving equipment short distances to not fold them up completely or even chain them down, which I would guess is the case here. Utilities and municipal workers are frequent perpetrators.