[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – MTN The infamous truck-eating bridge didn’t quite claim another victim but may be a victim itself after a significant bridge strike where the driver left the scene.
Around 4:30 PM on Saturday, a truck heading “eastbound” toward 85th Avenue struck the bridge, causing moderate damage to the concrete, exposing the supporting rebar, and sending at least one section of conduit into the road. The roadway is littered with concrete pieces. The truck drove off after the strike with unknown but likely significant damage.
This is a breaking news story and we will provide an update as more information becomes available.
[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – MTN The Kirkland Avenue Cross Kirkland Corridor bridge was hit by a second truck just 4-1/2 hours after a semi-truck got stuck under the infamous structure.
At approximately 2:40 PM on Thursday, a westbound box truck struck the retired railroad bridge and became stuck. Prior to local residents hanging warning banners on the bridge, it was on track to “eat” 100 trucks in 2021. A truck hadn’t hit the bridge for 125 days, and it has been more than a year since “Truckbane” claimed two victims on the same day.
The first truck struck the bridge traveling eastbound and the second was traveling westbound.
The bridge is located at a complex intersection with limited visibility approaches from both sides. The city of Kirkland has done numerous studies and made several improvements in 2020 in an attempt to warn truck drivers about the low clearance structure. That effort included installing 12 signs, in addition to the two warning signs that already existed, and flashing lights.
A semi-truck from Oak Harbor Freight Lines stuck under the Cross Kirkland Corridor rails to trail bridge on Kirkland Ave
Solving the problem by replacing the bridge or reengineering the intersection is too expensive and complicated. The roadbed can’t be lowered because there is a water main, communications, and electrical infrastructure under the bridge. Additional flashing warning lights can’t be added due to the federal Department of Transportation regulations – the approach to the bridge is not long enough. A cable, bar, or chain warning can’t be used because there are sidewalks adjacent to the road. If a truck were to snap a cable or knock over the structure, it would be a hazard to pedestrians.
[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – MTN The infamous truck-eating bridge on Kirkland Avenue claimed another victim on Wednesday morning when an overheight Oak Harbor Freight Lines semi-truck traveling west failed to clear the 11′ 6″ high structure.
At approximately 10:00 AM, the westbound truck hit the retired railroad bridge, which is now part of the rails to trails Cross Kirkland Corridor. It is the second time a truck has hit the bridge in June and the first westbound truck to strike the bridge in 125 days.
The bridge is located at a complex intersection with limited visibility approaches from both sides. The city of Kirkland has done numerous studies and made several improvements in 2020 in an attempt to warn truck drivers about the low clearance structure, to no avail.
Currently, there are more than a dozen signs and flashing warning lights on either side of the bridge.
In July 2021, local citizens made a banner declaring, “I Eat Trucks,” and strung it across the eastern side of the bridge. Two days later, residents in the area heard the squeal of brakes and expected it to be followed by the sounds of mangled metal, but there was no crash. The new banner was credited with its first save. A month later, the same group added a second banner after two bridge strikes occurred by westbound trucks.
A semi-truck from Oak Harbor Freight Lines stuck under the Cross Kirkland Corridor rails to trail bridge on Kirkland Ave
In 2021, the bridge was on pace to be struck over 100 times, but by August, it seemed the banners had solved the problem. The bridge was hit a few times over the last year, but this is the first month where “Truckbane” has been struck twice.
It is too expensive to replace the bridge with a higher structure for the Cross Kirkland Trail. The roadbed can’t be lowered because there is a water main, communications, and electrical infrastructure under the bridge. The city is restricted by Federal Department of Transportation rules on what they can and can’t do to raise truck driver awareness as they approach the structure. Additionally for eastbound trucks, it is approximately 1/4 mile from 85th Avenue to Truckbane, further limiting the location and quantity of DOT-approved warning devices. The city reported a cable overheight warning device couldn’t be used for the bridge approaches on the west or east side. If the cable were severed by a truck, it could strike pedestrians on the sidewalks that follow Kirkland Way.
Kirkland police have the intersection closed at press time and are awaiting a heavy-duty wrecker to extract the truck.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) Kirkland’s media darling, tourist attraction, and infamous truck eating bridge claimed another victim early Monday morning. Around 2 AM local residents reported hearing the telltale crash and scraping noises of yet another victim of the homicidal structure.
The driver tried for two hours to extract the truck, which struck the eastbound side before Kirkland Police showed up around 4 AM. A heavy-duty wrecker excised the latest meal from Truckbane’s jaws around 5 AM. This is the fourth truck to strike the bridge in three weeks.
Nighttime feedings are rare for Truckbane, which prefers to hunt during daylight hours.
Last Saturday a group of citizens did a banner drop on the westbound side. The community effort caught the attention of the local TV NBC affiliate KING 5, and the magazine CDL Today. In December of 2020, the city added a dozen signs to warn drivers of the truck eating bridge. The bridge’s location, architecture, and the traffic on Kirkland Way create a unique set of traffic engineering challenges.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) Truckbane, the infamous “truck eating bridge” of Kirkland had a close encounter of the worst kind with an over-height Mayflower Movers box truck. The eastbound 12’6″ truck became firmly wedged under the 11’6″ overpass, leaving bits of aluminum on the pavement and a battered roof from above. No one was injured and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”57″ gal_title=”Truckbane July 13 2021″]
Around 6:30 PM, the truck embedded itself into the maw of the old railroad trestle, becoming the third vehicle to strike the bridge in less than two weeks. The truck was carrying cargo, but it appeared undamaged. The driver was rattled and didn’t want to make a statement.
A heavy-duty wrecker arrived about one hour after Truckbane fed, and pulled the prey from out of its gaping maw. The screech of metal echoed through the neighborhood as the box broke free.
On Saturday a group of citizens did a banner drop on the westbound side. It appears it may have saved a truck from being consumed by Truckbane on Monday morning. Some onlookers on the Cross Kirkland Corridor mused that the latest meal may not have happened if there was a second banner on the other side.
In December of 2020, the city added a dozen signs to warn drivers of the truck-eating bridge. The bridge’s location, architecture, and the traffic on Kirkland Way create a unique set of traffic engineering challenges.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) On Saturday evening a group of residents hung a warning banner above “Truckbane,” the infamous truck-eating bridge in Kirkland. Less than 48 hours later, the sign has been credited with its first save.
Debbie Smith McLeod has photographed 45 trucks stuck under, or badly damaged after squeezing through the underpass over the past few years. A white box truck almost became her 46th subject.
“9:42 AM Monday. I heard the brakes squeal, he (or she – any stats on that?) was able to stop short and back away,” she wrote in a Facebook community group.
Due to the complexity and location of the intersection, a range of improvements suggested by the community is not possible. The retired Northern Pacific railroad bridge is part of the Cross Kirkland Corridor. The corridor is a rail to trails project that is heavily used and replacing the bridge is cost-prohibitive.
The banner became a hot topic in multiple social media groups only hours after it was hung on Saturday night, receiving high praise and speculation if it would make a difference.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) On Saturday evening, a group of residents placed a warning banner on an infamous Kirkland bridge that frequently “eats” trucks due to the 11’6″ clearance. According to Kirkland officials, the retired Northern Pacific railway bridge located at Kirkland Way and Railroad Ave is cosmetically battered but structurally sound despite dozens of close encounters of the worst kind.
Marked on Google Maps as a tourist attraction as Truckbane, the Truck-Eating Bridge, a combination of low clearance, unique geography, and the street layout makes it challenging to create a better solution to warn truck drivers.
The bridge has become so famous in Kirkland it has its own Instagram and at least two Facebook pages. Local social media lights up with pictures and comments every time Truckbane claims another victim. In a recent Tweet by the Kirkland Police Department, a sketch artist drew what appears to be Truckbane revealing its true self. Just this past week, Truckbane was able to feed twice.
Kirkland police investigating another “kill,” caught this short video of truckbane before it disappeared down the cross kirkland trail
In December of 2020, Kirkland officials installed 12 new signs to supplement the existing signage warning of the low overpass. Despite the additional warnings, Truckbane continues to feed on unsuspecting vehicles.
At a thousand feet out, the first signs warn of a low bridge ahead. At 700 feet, two more signs warn of a low overheight bridge with 11’6″ clearance. Approximately 300 feet away, a final sign warns that overheight vehicles must turn onto an alternative road to avoid the bridge. Then, at both intersections, an additional sign indicates again that overheight trucks must turn.
City engineers have stated that having a suspended overheight sign isn’t possible. Because the bridge is part of the Cross Kirkland Trail and in a combined residential and light industrial area, the city is concerned a snapped cable could strike a pedestrian. Having an overheight detector isn’t possible either because of Department of Transportation requirements on its location, making it unfeasible due to the unique intersection.
Some have suggested lowering the road under the bridge, creating more clearance, but the road already sits at a low spot. Additional lowering could create drainage problems and would come with an expensive price tag. Others have suggested replacing the bridge itself with more clearance, but it is impractical from a cost perspective.
Truckbane feeds exclusively out of sight. Due to the Cross Kirkland Trail location, the trestle, and the intersection layout, no homes or businesses have a clear view. Despite numerous appeals for a webcam to capture Truckbane hunting its prey, photographers have only been able to get shots after a kill.
Complicating things, Kirkland Way is frequently used as a bypass to move between downtown and access to I-405 at 85th. Apps such as Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps recommend Kirkland Way as an alternate route to bypass traffic. For southbound drivers, a blind turn obscures the bridge until it’s too late if they didn’t notice the signs – and despite the city’s best efforts, drivers are missing the signs.
The banner serves as a final warning for drivers now but the city of 90,000 wonders, when will Truckbane strike again?
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