Low clearances

[D-Dey65]

Originating from the New York Tri-State area, I'm very familiar with bridges of 9, 8, and even 7, foot clearences. However, in states like Florida, I don't think anybody has ever seen a bridge under 10 feet. I thought about contacting FDOT about this, but before I decide whether or not to do so, does anybody else know what bridges have the lowest clearence in Florida. While we're at it, does anybody know of any less than 10' clearence bridges outside of the northeastern US?

[NE2]

Look at older rail underpasses: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=jacksonville,+fl&hl=en&ll=30.329804,-81.67653&spn=0.008223,0.020599&gl=us&z=17&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=30.329804,-81.67653&panoid=s-bJAj8_C7GRE4d89vtcAg&cbp=12,194.45,,0,1.27

[WolfGuy100]

Look at older rail underpasses: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=jacksonville,+fl&hl=en&ll=30.329804,-81.67653&spn=0.008223,0.020599&gl=us&z=17&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=30.329804,-81.67653&panoid=s-bJAj8_C7GRE4d89vtcAg&cbp=12,194.45,,0,1.27

I don't know how tall is that tripod on Google Street View car but I'm surprised that it fit under a 9ft underpass!

[D-Dey65]

Okay. South Myrtle Avenue in Jacksonville definitley qualifies. Still seems like it would be pretty rare though.

[agentsteel53]

there's an 8'6 somewhere in northern CA but I cannot remember where.  it's a truss bridge, with an extra metal bar welded to the new, lower height so that trucks do not attempt the crossing.  this is because the bridge cannot support the truck's weight.

[NE2]

By the way, the center part of the Jacksonville underpass carried trolleys back in the day.

http://www.aitaonline.com/Info/Low%20Clearances.html may be useful, but incomplete and outdated (the one it lists in Jacksonville was under the old Fuller Warren Bridge).

McCoys Creek Boulevard looks to have a low underpass, but I can't find any signs for it.

[Brian556]

There used to be a 6 FT 6 IN CLEARANCE u-turn underpass under I-35E south of Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville, Tx. It was appearenty a u-turn that was "jerry-rigged" under a bridge that was originally intended to just be over a creek. This setup was eliminated several years ago.

[1995hoo]

There's one in Charlottesville that is exactly 10 feet at the corner of University Avenue and 14th Street; it's a railroad overpass once called "Score Bridge" (because people used to paint the scores of UVA football wins on it) and in addition to the height sign it has flashing lights and a loud bell that sounds when an overheight vehicle approaches.

[Ian]

The maximum height allowed on the Wheeling Suspension Bridge in West Virginia is 8 feet.

[getemngo]

Sault Ste. Marie, MI has an 8'11" railroad underpass on a side street.

This obviously doesn't fit the under 10 foot criteria, but check out how many accidents have occurred at a single bridge: http://11foot8.com/

[D-Dey65]

Nice link, NE2. Although on the list for New York, it claims that the LIRR Main Line bridge over Route 112 in Medford is 13'9". http://www.aitaonline.com/Info/Low%20Clearances.html#New York Low Clearances

Signs at the bridge have been saying it's 12'9" before I was even born.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:12_foot_9_railroad_bridge_over_NY_112.JPG

[NE2]

Perhaps it's actually 13'9" but signs say 12'9" to give some margin of error?

[D-Dey65]

Perhaps it's actually 13'9" but signs say 12'9" to give some margin of error?

You're guess is as good as mine. I honestly have no idea why this discrepancy exists here.

[citrus]

I seem to recall that NY posts 1 foot less than the actual clearance. There's a rail bridge in Owego that at one point had a small "Actual clearance" sign off to the side that was 1 foot more than the sign on the bridge said.

[newyorker478]

What is the lowest clearance of any road or highway bridge you have seen? Living around New York, the lowest I can remember phisycally seeing was 6'10" in various spot, the Hutch in Mount Vernon the only one i think I can remember right now. What about you?

[Ian]

I seem to recall that NY posts 1 foot less than the actual clearance. There's a rail bridge in Owego that at one point had a small "Actual clearance" sign off to the side that was 1 foot more than the sign on the bridge said.

There are a number of bridges along the Northway (I-87) that have the "Actual clearance" signs, mostly around the Plattsburgh area.

[NE2]

Here's a 2 m (6'6") in Calgary: http://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.043438,-114.043257&spn=0.00599,0.016512&layer=c&cbll=51.043206,-114.043478&panoid=L3gGUpWL_0DSI4sXLTF8rw&cbp=12,31.25,,0,-0.2&z=17&vpsrc=0

There's also at least one 2 m in Sydney. Anyone know of any lower ones (on public roads that motor vehicles are allowed on)?

[Scott5114]

6' 6"? Amazing. There are some people taller than that clearance.

[ftballfan]

6' 6"? Amazing. There are some people taller than that clearance.

Including a volleyball player friend of mine. Even I would almost hit that, as I am 6'1".

[Zmapper]

There are some 6' 8" underpasses on the bike paths around here. Even though I am not that tall, I always feel like I am going to hit my head when travelling through.

[xcellntbuy]

My God that is a low bridge.  I am only one inch shorter.

[Sykotyk]

A Texas frontage road (I think on US75 has a 7'3 clearance doing a horseshoe under the highway). PA-58 has a short bridge (too lazy to look up height) in Jamestown PA at the intersection with US-322. It's an arch railroad bridge. The true height depends on how wide the vehicle trying to squeeze under it.
Post Merge: September 02, 2011, 07:57:17 PM

I seem to recall that NY posts 1 foot less than the actual clearance. There's a rail bridge in Owego that at one point had a small "Actual clearance" sign off to the side that was 1 foot more than the sign on the bridge said.

There are a number of bridges along the Northway (I-87) that have the "Actual clearance" signs, mostly around the Plattsburgh area.

Bingo. NY signs bridges 12" less than the actual clearance. If there's a discrepancy, they post another sign giving the 'actual clearance'. And a bridge on top of a bridge gets signed 2-feet off. Hence the 12'2 bridge on the BQE easily handling a 13'6 truck.

And NY wonders why so many truckers top their trailers on bridges in that state. Sign the bridges at the real 'able to clear' height, and maybe they wouldn't be having such a problem.

Although, to be fair most states post bridges lower than they really are to scare off people from hitting them. Texas goes 3" lower than actual.

[english si]

There's a railway overbridge at Starcross in Devon over a private driveway (for a sailing club) that's not much more than 5'. I've seen cars go through it, just about fitting, trailing boats that also struggle to fit.

Also walked through it - I'm rather short and even when I was 12 (and small for a 12-year old), I had to duck slightly.

Also rather loud when a train goes over it.

This one in Scotland (that I got from searching lowest bridge in SABRE) is signed as 4'9" - roughly the same height, as there's the rounding down, but on a public road. It's a canal that passes over it.

[jdb1234]

There is a 9'7" clearance at the eastern portal to the tunnel under the site of the old train station on Messer Airport Highway in Birmingham.

[formulanone]

There's a 7'11" by the Cobo Center in Detroit, which is a span that allows for parking lots to connect. Was driving a rental Ford Escape at the time, and my first concern was "Crap! I'm going to break off the antenna" about 5 milliseconds after I'd started going beneath it. Thank goodness for the glass-embedded antennae or "roof lumps" on most modern cars.