Truck gets stuck under low-clearance Louisville bridge as crashes continue

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Another truck became trapped beneath one of Louisville's notoriously low railroad bridges Thursday afternoon, adding to a growing list of drivers who have misjudged the clearance despite multiple warning signs.

The truck made it nearly halfway under the bridge before becoming wedged beneath the structure, requiring a tow truck to remove it.

Jason Walters with Suburban Towing, measured the bridge opening at 12 feet, four inches. However, the lowest point of the bridge drops to just 11 feet, eight inches roughly midway through the span — creating a trap for oversized vehicles that make it past the entrance.

"I mean, because obviously they're not reading any signs that they put out. Even flashing signs," Walters said.

By the time drivers realize they've made a mistake, it's often too late.

"This is kind of the shame moment for most drivers, I think," Walters said. "And I feel bad for them, but it's part of paying attention."

Just feet away, Bruce Dodge has a front-row seat to the crashes. Dodge owns Bluegrass Awning, which sits beside the bridge and has become an unintended observation post for what some locals call a the can opener bridge.

"It started again. I had one yesterday. Today," Dodge said. "Most of them have come from the north side. I guess the traffic was rerouted into this thing, which is not the best of moves."

Dodge has installed a camera aimed directly at the bridge. Over the first four days of the week, he said multiple trucks struck the structure.

The collisions are impossible to ignore.

"An explosion. I mean, you can feel it all the way through the building," Dodge said. "Especially when they get deep in. This one was rolling pretty quick, and he got halfway in, so it was loud."

He said witnesses nearby were startled by Thursday's crash.

"There were a couple of kids walking through there. When it hit, they came running out, scared to death. I can only imagine what it sounds like in there."

Walters has responded to countless bridge strikes over the years. He believes many of the drivers are unfamiliar with Louisville and rely too heavily on navigation technology while missing warning signs.

"They're all from out of town, and they're just relying on reading the signage," Walters said.

Despite the bridge's reputation online, Walters said tow operators don't actually refer to it by its popular nickname.

"We don't really call it the can opener," he said. "My dispatcher doesn't say, 'Hey, head to the can opener.' They'll tell us either here at Third and Winkler or the next bridge over, which is Third and Eastern or 30th and River Park."

There are four low-clearance railroad bridges in the area that regularly catch oversized vehicles.

Beyond the damage to trucks, crashes can become costly. If a bridge is damaged, trucking companies can be held liable for repairs, and drivers may also face criminal fines.

As the collisions continue, business owners and tow operators say the message remains simple: pay attention to the signs before the bridge does the measuring for you.