Maryland to Use Electronic Devices to Measure Truck Heights
The state is taking the action in response to a fatal accident along Interstate 695 near Arbutus, Md., on June 8, when a truck that was nearly 3 feet too tall caused a pedestrian bridge to collapse during rush-hour traffic. One person was killed and three others were injured in the accident.
After the collapse, the state looked over inspection reports and found that 113 of its 2,466 bridges had evidence of being struck to some degree by overheight vehicles, the newspaper reported.
The monitors would emit an electronic beam set at 13 feet, 6 inches, the federal maximum height for trucks. Vehicles that break the beam would be taken off the road, Maryland State Police said.
A similar detector is set up at an entrance to the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel along I-895. In the first six months of 1998, 245 trucks approaching the tunnel exceeded the federal limit and were diverted, the Sun reported.
Although the number of accidents involving trucks that exceed the height rule are rare, when an accident occurs "it creates mayhem" on the I-695 beltway, Williams said.
According to the Sun, Walter Thompson, president of the Maryland Motor Carriers Association, said that he welcomed the electronic devices to measure load heights, stating that most big trucks are built to federal height specifications.
The problem generally occurs with semi-flexible loads such as car carriers, and hydraulic equipment loaded on flatbeds, Thompson said.
It was improperly loaded hydraulic equipment on a tractor-trailer that caused the footbridge accident. No charges were filed against Paul McIntosh, the Canadian truck driver involved in the I-695accident, according to the Sun.
However, state officials had said that civil actions were possible against McIntosh and his employer, TTK Transport of Ontario, Canada. Also, the Maryland State Highway Administration was planning to seek at least $275,000 from the trucking company to recover the cost of cleaning up the debris from accident.
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