The company I work for run deckers down the A77 to Cairnryan. This is the main route from the Scottish Central belt to the ferryports going to Northern Ireland.
The drivers on the route are told to show their height as 16’-3". There’s a low arch bridge just before Maybole which has two different heights on it. It’s 16’-6" northbound and 14’-6" southbound. In the pictures below you can see that this is due to their being a pavement on the northbound side, meaning that side of the road is closer to the middle of the arch. All our deckers (and many other companies deckers) pass under this bridge both north and southbound. It has a bend just beyond it as you head southbound, so it could be tricky to deem it safe to move across the two solid white lines to pass under the bridge in the middle of the road. You can see from the photos that the bridge has been struck many times before.
I was just wondering what your thoughts on this are. If you strike the bridge going southbound and are running at 16’-3", surely you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on? I don’t do the run, but would be reluctant to pass through any bridge which is telling me that I’m 21 inches over height. I just dread any of our lads hitting it. It’s a crap setup, which really should have a traffic light system if so many deckers are using the route.
supermarket deckers go through it southbound all the time. as do some palletline lads. ive been through southbound with pallets at 15’6" just be canny though because the corner is tighter than it looks and if 2 lads meet at the bridge could be a sore one
It’s a supermarket I work for. I know they all get through it, but judging by the pictures, not all of them make it through unscathed. I’ve not heard of any of our lads hit it yet. It just seems a bit dicey to me. If you hit the bridge, you’ll no doubt be sacked and could be up for a prosecution.
It would seem logical to have two sets of chord markings showing the clearance at the sides and the middle of the arch, but it’s probably due to the bend that they don’t want to guide vehicles into the centre of the road.
There are signs both sides of the bridge warning of oncoming vehicles being in the middle of the road, since you are passing an obstruction on your side of the road, I would say it’s perfectly legal to cross the solid white lines to go under the bridge with a vehicle over 14’9".
weeto:
There are signs both sides of the bridge warning of oncoming vehicles being in the middle of the road, since you are passing an obstruction on your side of the road, I would say it’s perfectly legal to cross the solid white lines to go under the bridge with a vehicle over 14’9".
^ This
The law is an ■■■, and those who follow it wholly are ■■■ wholes.
Also the bridge height is marked with a triangle…which warns of maximum height between goal posts.
If it was marked with a circle…it would prohibit any vehicle over the marked height from attempting to pass under.
Triangles warn.
Circles prohibit.
Been under it hundreds of times with Iceland trailers. Some drivers have hit it and never been prosecuted. Take as much room as you need ie northbound your offside wheels should be just over the line and southbound sit bang centre on the road. Its a bit offset because of a pavement on one side
I might pass you from next month since the job I applied for is doing the exact same job but for a different supermarket
That reminds me of the one near Bromsgrove… forgotten where it is, but I am sure someone will know it Marked up at 14’6" I think but deckers go straight through the middle
scanny77:
Been under it hundreds of times with Iceland trailers. Some drivers have hit it and never been prosecuted. Take as much room as you need ie northbound your offside wheels should be just over the line and southbound sit bang centre on the road. Its a bit offset because of a pavement on one side
I might pass you from next month since the job I applied for is doing the exact same job but for a different supermarket
Are you one of the guys starting in Jan m8? I won’t be doing the run as it’s nightshift, but was just trying to understand the problem a bit better, so I can pass on any good advice. The input given from all of you so far is greatly appreciated. Cheers fellas
This is fine a you lads saying it’s perfectly legal, It will be a different kettle o fish if you are bang in the middle as quoted when round the corner comes one o the local young ones in his EVO and hits you and is a fatal. What then I would think you would be in a rather sticky wicket. Eddie.
erfguy:
This is fine a you lads saying it’s perfectly legal, It will be a different kettle o fish if you are bang in the middle as quoted when round the corner comes one o the local young ones in his EVO and hits you and is a fatal. What then I would think you would be in a rather sticky wicket. Eddie.
Agreed m8. It’s going to be hard for the company and driver to explain. The safest solution in my opinion, until the bypass is built, would be a traffic light system to allow north and southbound traffic to take it in turns to pass under the bridge safely in the middle of the road.
scanny77:
Been under it hundreds of times with Iceland trailers. Some drivers have hit it and never been prosecuted. Take as much room as you need ie northbound your offside wheels should be just over the line and southbound sit bang centre on the road. Its a bit offset because of a pavement on one side
I might pass you from next month since the job I applied for is doing the exact same job but for a different supermarket
Are you one of the guys starting in Jan m8? I won’t be doing the run as it’s nightshift, but was just trying to understand the problem a bit better, so I can pass on any good advice. The input given from all of you so far is greatly appreciated. Cheers fellas
Hopefully
I run out of Falkirk just now on early mornings but I am in grangemouth today (at the tray wash in Falkirk right now ) but i did run down there for 12 months pulling deckers. We all had the same concerns about that bridge. The bigger problem is when the A77 gets shut at girvan or ballantrae. I have heard the detour is tight and if that I also closed then Dumfries is the only other way
weeto:
There are signs both sides of the bridge warning of oncoming vehicles being in the middle of the road, since you are passing an obstruction on your side of the road, I would say it’s perfectly legal to cross the solid white lines to go under the bridge with a vehicle over 14’9".
The law is quite clear on when you can cross a solid white line and just an obstruction isn’t one of the reasons. From memory the exceptions are a stationary vehicle, a bike, horse or maintenance vehicle doing 10mph or less, or if you need to enter a premises or side road.
The sings here seem contradictory. They warn of vehicles in the middle of the road but unless on the off chance there’s a parked car or horse under the bridge at the time the vehicle in the middle of the road will be in the wrong and in the crap if an accident results.
I did it twice a day with nfl running langlands to n.i and back again for 4 years…its safer at night as you have a seconds warning when you see someones headlights coming…running with others on the cb…(AM) is a doddle as they can tell you just to hog the middle if its clear…everyone just uses it and gets on with it…nobody uses the alternative road as its pish,though if you want to then just hang a left before the bridge and follow your nose and itl bring you out on the steep hill lane adjoining the 77 just after the bridge assuming you’ve not ripped the arse out of the decker beforehand.if your of the steering wheel attendant persuasion,then it would be interesting to start a major buck passing excersize getting written instructions ordering you to ignore a bridge restriction when your obviously 22 inches overheight…if you’ve a week or 2 to kill,you could always go into the plodshop in ayr or the traffic in govan and watch how obody will give you a definite confirmation either.util now,then its a just get on with it scenario as anyone on deckers just has done it sofar.with or without mishap.all that’s needed is a jobsworth Tosco type to question the legality of being routed that way. as far as im aware,the langlands brigades own drivers wont take one down there…h/s etc,but nfl,and now mc b1s have to do it.they don’t do n.i for similar reasons as to do it themselves wouentail a 2 day trip,whereas nfl does it in 1 shift…naughty naughty…
“It is illegal to cross a continuous solid white line if the solid line is on your side of the road, except under certain conditions. You are permitted to straddle or cross a continuous solid white line to enter a side road or property, to manoeuvre round a stationary vehicle blocking your side of the road, to overtake a cyclists, horse or a road works vehicle moving at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less. Crossing double white lines where the line closest to you is solid is illegal outside of the circumstances described above.”
It would appear that it is illegal to pass under that bridge whilst straddling both lanes whilst the lanes are unobstructed. It’s odd that the sign warns of drivers in the middle of the road though.
Marked up at 14’6" I think but deckers go straight through the middle
