Turn right off slip road then right again up to traffic light and turn right to follow the diversion.
As soon as you turn off the slip road the low bridge is signposted 1 and 1/4 miles down the A49.
Decided to go straight on towards Wigan to avoid any traffic on the official diversion as I was in a rigid at 13 foot not that its 13 foot as we have measured them and they are either 12’3" or 12’6" can’t remember off hand.
Heading towards a bend and see blue flashing lights and sure enough an artic that had carried on instead of turning right had tried to go under the bridge. Trailer leaning backwards and parked on the opposite side of the road with a second seemingly undamaged artic parked in front of it.
Police van and police car in attendance.
I wouldn’t mind but the signs are far enough away and it’s an arched bridge so why he tried to go under it is a mystery.
Pic 1 is as you come round the slip road and trun right.
Pic 2 is along the road after you have trunred right at the next traffic lights.
Pic 3 is the bridge plenty of advance warning about the height of the bridge.
From me being a kid that bridge has been hit with buses and trucks and tractors so many times
Cheers Welly
And you didn’t invite me round for a cuppa how rude [emoji23]
I do find it odd how people make such stupid mistakes.
I mean the first thing I thought when I came off the slip road was why is everyone turning right when there is a low bridge just a mile and a quater down that road.
To be fair the only diversion signs were a hollow square on road signs no actual diversion signs.
My second thought when vehicles were turning right at the next set of lights towards Leyland was "I’m in a 13’ rigid tonight which I know is at least 6 inches less than that so I can go that way instead to avoid any congestion.
If I had been in an artic I would have thohht oh that’s odd why are the sending us towards a low bridge without any ear diversion signs and I can’t go under that bridge or even attempt too.
No excuse to be hitting that bridge it is very well sign posted from every direction… All they had to do was chuck a left after the CNG station then follow signs for M61…
isaac hunt:
Would have been so much easier to set the diversion to m61, m60, m62.
At night isn’t the M61 shut at the M60 and M62 shut between M61 and M6? So cant get back to M6 too easily. Plus M60 will be shut dlwn bottom in numerous places.
isaac hunt:
Would have been so much easier to set the diversion to m61, m60, m62.
Thats what the smart money did anyway
That’s the way I went last night, put about 10 mins on the normal route, wasn’t really a problem and better than sitting in all that ■■■■.
Still managed to get parked up in Stoke for a pint and feed with 30 mins left on spreadover.
isaac hunt:
Would have been so much easier to set the diversion to m61, m60, m62.
At night isn’t the M61 shut at the M60 and M62 shut between M61 and M6? So cant get back to M6 too easily. Plus M60 will be shut dlwn bottom in numerous places.
Btw, hope this trailer that hit it wasn’t red.
No. m61 works are finished, m60, some works but open, m62 average speed cameras and closure beyond m6.
A quick look on google maps shows what sections are closed each night
isaac hunt:
Would have been so much easier to set the diversion to m61, m60, m62.
At night isn’t the M61 shut at the M60 and M62 shut between M61 and M6? So cant get back to M6 too easily. Plus M60 will be shut dlwn bottom in numerous places.
At least they sorted all those daft extra roadworks. Was getting truly stupid with the M56 being shut too. Blue curtainsider - still worrying if it double decker.
As for who hits it, well considering the quality of drivers we sometimes get sent, it honestly doesnt surprise me. Think agencies should be sent the full bill for bridge hits where applicable, then they might be more careful who they send.
(Not agency driver bashing, just agency companies!).
Make a difference if they put in a prohibition sign instead of a warning sign.
As I understand it if the flat concrete part is more than 16’6" and the top of the arch is also then the rulebook tells them to use a triangular sign. Presumably because you could get a 16’0" high loaded truck through when the load or body is very narrow at the top .
From the rules :-
7.21 Mandatory signs are not used at arch bridges,
as the main risk to these comes from vehicles which,
although low enough to pass through the central
part of the arch, might strike the curved shoulder of
the structure. See Chapter 5 (paras 22.5 to 22.10)
for guidance on the use of road markings at arch
bridges.
.