The New York State Department of Transportation is taking several measures to prevent trucks from striking the railroad bridge over Onondaga Lake Parkway in Salina. Probably most noticeable to motorists will be temporarily reducing traffic to one lane each way, and maintaining the closure of the entrance ramp from northbound I-81 to limit truck traffic.
In a release, DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez says the measures are needed, even if truck drivers bear some responsibility.
"Onondaga Lake Parkway has been the scene of far too many collisions involving trucks and other over-height vehicles that should never have been on the roadway in the first place, causing unnecessary frustration and unwarranted hazards to local motorists,” Dominguez said. “The new measures we are implementing will build on the extensive steps we have already taken to prevent bridge strikes at this location and will reduce the likelihood of trucks accessing the parkway, calm traffic and provide additional, hard-to-miss, warnings of the low-clearance bridge that lies ahead.”
These measures will also be implemented:
- New ground-mounted and overhead signs with graphical “No Trucks” messaging that will be easier for drivers to understand.
- Additional pavement markings warning of the low-bridge hazard.
- Upgrade of existing over-height vehicle detection system with additional sensors to improve accuracy.
- Incorporation of LED blank out signs with graphical “No Trucks” message that would activate when an over-height vehicle is detected.
- Installation of a traditional, three-phase traffic signal near the bridge that would turn red when an over-height vehicle is detected.
The low bridge has been the site of six strikes this year alone. The frequency has increased in recent years. The only recent fatal accident was in 2010, when a double-decker Megabus struck the bridge, killing four people.
