This Can Opener Bridge is a Nightmare for Truck Drivers

This bridge could be the worst one ever for any semi truck driver. The North Carolina bridge falls just a bit short of the US regulation of a 14 foot bridge height. At 11 feet, 8 inches, it's certainly earned its name as the "can opener," removing the lids off unsuspecting semi trailers.

The Norfolk Southern-Gregson Street Overpass gets away with not meeting government standards as its construction took place in the 1940s. Those standards simply didn't exist yet.

These wrecks happen so frequently that the bridge has its own website, 11foot8 Videos. Durham, North Carolina resident Jurgen Henn developed the channel after seeing these wrecks happen for years. You can even subscribe to the YouTube channel yoyo68 to see more. Over the summer, the city installed a lovely new warning system for trucks. However, one moving truck managed to still fall victim to the 'can opener.'

And in this video, a speeding Cintas truck thought it could just cruise under the bridge with ease:

With all this happening, why not just raise the bridge? Well, the city of Durham can't. If they raised the 76-year-old bridge, the city would also have to raise surrounding railroad crossings.

What about lowering the street itself? That's can't happen either. A major sewer line in the city runs just four feet below Gregson Street.

The best (and saddest) part about the bridge is that it has signs everywhere detailing its exact height. The city posts "low clearance" signs starting three blocks prior to the bridge itself. And yet, countless videos and millions of views later, the problem still remains.

While the Gregson Street bridge isn't the only under height bridge in the world, it's certainly the most notable. The website even has a gift shop where you can buy t-shirts, signs and even your own scrap metal art.

Can you make it through all the videos on the bridge's website without laughing? Here's one final video for good measure:

Moral of the story: know your vehicle's dimensions and read road signs.

SEE ALSO: Turkey Opens Third Bridge Between Continents in Megaproject Drive

Featured Image Source: Mark Clifton/Flickr