Infamous can opener bridge getting laser warning system

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Five trucks a year on average crash into the “can opener” bridge in Delaware City, Ohio. (Photo: Delaware City, Ohio)Five trucks a year on average crash into the “can opener” bridge in Delaware City, Ohio. (Photo: Delaware City, Ohio)

An infamously low bridge in Delaware City, Ohio has ripped the tops off so many trailers that it’s been dubbed the can opener.

Now, the can opener may be meeting its match thanks to a laser-equipped vehicle height detection system which should be up and running by fall or winter, according to Delaware News.

Vehicles that are too tall to travel under the 12-foot, 7-inch West Central Avenue railroad overpass will be detected by nearby lasers which will then activate an electronic sign warning drivers to take a detour.

The project, the first of its kind in The Buckeye State, is possible thanks to a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation. The current projected cost is $250,000 to $300,000.

In the meantime, the bridge continues to live up to its nickname. The latest victim on June 16 told police he didn’t see the current sign warning of the low clearance.

Though the truck passed under the bridge, it left behind the entire top of its trailer in the process.

Delaware City police reported responding to 10 height-related incidents involving the bridge over the past 12 months. Trucks collide into the can opener an average of five times each year.

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