Monday March 20th, a motor vehicle accident occurred on Onondaga Lake Parkway around 1 PM. A Tractor trailer traveling Westbound towards the village of Liverpool struck the railroad bridge over the parkway. Fortunately, the driver was not injured, according to the report from the scene.
The impact of the tractor trailer colliding with the railroad bridge was significant, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle and scattering of its contents and pieces of the trailer. The force of the collision caused superficial damage to the bridge.
As the emergency crews arrived on the scene, they found the wreckage of the tractor trailer strewn across the roadway. The debris from the vehicle and its contents was scattered over a considerable distance, making the cleanup a challenging and time-consuming process.
The impact of the collision was so severe that several pieces of the trailer had become dislodged and had fallen onto the roadway, creating an additional hazard for the cleanup crew. The crew worked diligently to remove the debris, using heavy tow trucks to clear the roadway as quickly and safely as possible.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of paying attention to posted signs and warning systems. Despite the presence of advanced technology, such as the laser-based vehicle height detection system, some drivers still fail to heed the warnings and end up colliding with the bridge.
The incident caused the roadway to be closed to traffic from 1 PM until 7 PM while emergency crews cleared the roadway of the vehicle and debris. This bridge is frequently struck and is well known to locals for the frequency with which it is struck by overheight vehicles that miss the signs and laser-based vehicle height detection and warning system.
The bridge's height is 10 feet 9 inches, and despite the warning systems in place, it remains a challenge for some drivers to navigate. The incident serves as a reminder for drivers to be aware of the height of their vehicles and to pay attention to the posted signs and warning systems.
Update 3:10 PM: Both westbound lanes (towards the Village of Liverpool) remain closed and one eastbound lane (towards syracuse/I81/Destiny) is also closed. Consider taking alternate routes if possible to avoid congestion.
Update 6:40 PM: One westbound lane has reopened, crews still working to clean up the damaged truck and trailer from the right lane.
Update 7:09 PM: All lanes now re-open.
