The Kansas Department of Transportation is urging drivers of semis and large vehicles to make sure their vehicles and loads can fit under bridges of different heights.
KDOT says it is joining the national safety campaign called “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right.” This follows almost 380 incidents, just in Kansas, where vehicles hit bridges last year. It also follows two major incidents in the KVOE listening area: an overheight load slicing through part of the understructure of the Kansas Turnpike bridge over US Highway 50 in far west Emporia in April, followed by another overheight load incident involving the South Morrill Road Bridge over US Highway 75 near Melvern in November.
KDOT says bridge strike incidents can lead to serious structural damage, as what happened in Emporia and near Melvern last year, but they can also lead to injuries and deaths; last year, 9 people were killed and almost 140 were hurt in bridge wrecks in Kansas.
While semis and oversized loads may draw the most attention with this campaign, KDOT says drivers of rental or delivery box trucks, RVs and construction vehicles should pay attention, as should drivers of livestock or equipment trailers.
KDOT urges drivers to know their vehicle’s height, pay attention to posted bridge heights and avoid reliance on apps or navigation devices for their trips. Drivers of vehicles above 14 feet tall should call the state’s K-TRIP permit office at 785-368-6501 to both get a permit and check their route for possible issues.
