Another semi hits Glenridge Road bridge in Glenville; Top peeled off trailer after Wednesday strike

GLENVILLE – The Glenridge Road railroad bridge, frequently hit by tractor-trailers, was hit again Wednesday afternoon.

No injuries were immediately reported in Wednesday’s strike, but the semi’s trailer appeared completely destroyed.

Wednesday’s call came in just after 2 p.m.

Both Glenville Police and the Canadian Pacific Railway Police responded.

Photos: Glenridge Road bridge strike Glenville 4/13/22 (9 Photos)

The top of the trailer was peeled completely off by the strike, leaving the trailer bent in the middle. The truck was marked J.B. Hunt and appeared to have a small load of ACE Hardware products inside.

One piece of the trailer roof remained stuck to the bridge, just under the last sign to announce the bridge’s height, 10 feet, 11 inches.

Workers then cut up parts of the truck to tow it away. The road was expected to be shut down for several hours as a result. ACs Towing and Recovery and Liggett’s Auto & Towing were doing the removal.

The state Department of Transportation just last month presented the latest plan to mitigate strikes at the Glenville bridge.

The plan calls for a turnaround ahead of the bridge in the westbound direction to be installed this year, and an overheight vehicle detection system for 2023.

DOT officials presented the schedule and concept to the Glenville town board after years of calls by town and state officials, as well as residents, for something to be done to keep trucks from hitting the bridge, which only has a clearance height of 10 feet 11 inches.

They had to cut parts of the semi that hit the Glenridge Road Bridge this afternoon and remove the products inside before towing it. ⁦@dgazette⁩ pic.twitter.com/jfgY9ThS60

— Shenandoah Briere (@SB_DailyGazette) April 13, 2022

But scenes such as Wednesday’s have become almost commonplace at the bridge in recent years. More than 100 vehicles have crashed into the bridge in recent years, including a semi striking the Glenville bridge in January, just 17 days into the new year.

Photos: Glenridge Road bridge strike Glenville 4/13/22 (9 Photos)

“It’s shocking that we suffer another bridge strike; one of the worst I’ve seen,” Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle said Wednesday afternoon. “Again, thankfully nobody was hurt, but this is a stark reminder that we need to proceed with the deployment of DOT’s proposed solutions immediately.”

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