A string of unusual and damaging crashes has developed into a troubling trend on some D.C. area roads: Oversized trucks and work vehicles have been striking bridges and overpasses.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is imploring drivers of trucks and other large vehicles to be cautious, hoping to head off expensive repairs.
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“Do not hit our bridges,” one overpass sign read. “Love VDOT.”
There have been at least six incidents in recent months, including two each on the Dulles Toll Road, Interstate 66 and on the Capital Beltway. Even outside Virginia, WTOP reported a sign along the E Street Expressway in D.C. was hit Tuesday by a raised dump truck bed.
Road crews are scratching their heads as to why it’s happening. Before this recent rash of episodes, there hadn’t been many of these crashes.
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It’s gotten to the point where VDOT is now reminding truck drivers to take extra care. They’ve asked commercial drivers to complete simple pre-trip inspections.
Besides the potential for these crashes to cause damage that’s expensive to repair, these incidents also tie up roads for hours with the cleanup.
