City officials are considering possible changes to height warning signage at the Inman Street railroad underpass in downtown Cleveland, Tenn. The Norfolk Southern railway bridge has been repeatedly struck by commercial transport, rental trucks and RVs over the years, causing numerous scrapes and dents to the structure.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Cleveland officials are seeking a way to reduce the number of vehicle crashes at the Norfolk Southern railway bridge that passes over Inman Street at Five Points.
The Public Works Department and Cleveland Utilities are working toward improving signs that warn drivers of the concrete bridge’s low clearance, which is 10 feet, 10 inches.
The bridge routinely takes hits from commercial transports, rental vans and recreational vehicles, Public Works Director Tommy Myers said. At least 50 percent of the crashes involve rental trucks, he said.
“Most of the crashes happen because many drivers are used to driving their cars through the underpass every day,” Myers said. “When they take their normal route with a rental van, they don’t think about it and they run into the bridge.”
The bridge typically has one crash a month, said Dave Pidgeon, spokesman for Norfolk Southern.