Talbot Street Bridge brings misfortune to truck drivers, laughs to Londoners
For decades the Talbot Street Bridge has been the bane of truckers trying to make their way through downtown London and it happened again on Friday.
It happens so frequently that Ed Jackman decided to create a Twitter account for the structure six years ago.
“The spike would occur when students were moving in from out of town and they weren’t aware of the clearance of the bridge,” says Jackman.
The bridge itself is owned by Canadian Pacific and they look after the structure, with the city providing warning signs about it’s height -- or lack thereof.
“It’s the responsibility of the railway to ensure its structural stability and to assess it after any impacts,” says Doug MacRae, the director of Transportation and Mobility with the City of London. “There are beams that are separate from the bridge structure itself but just ahead of the bridge that in fact absorb the impact or take the impact the impact from any errant trucks.”
The city has put up more signage as well to warn truckers in an effort to reduce the number of collisions.
“We added the overhead signage and those introduced not only another visual cue but an audible cue,” says MacRae. “If a truck hits those they do minimal damage to the truck but they do create a noise that alerts a driver of the hazard.”
MacRae says the city has exhausted feasible ways of correcting the design so very little can be done.
“It’s not possible to raise the rail higher or to dig the road deeper due to underground utilities and large sewers,” says MacRae.
Jackman says over the years the Twitter account has taken on a life of its own gaining more and more followers every time someone gets stuck. On average it happens two to five times a year.
“Roughly around 3,300 followers now and whenever a truck happens to have a mishap at the bridge I gain another 50 to 100 followers,” says Jackman.
“It’s all in fun, just as long as no one gets hurt obviously, you know it’s just been kind of a inside joke in London for a number of years now.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.