Bridge Ices before Road
Yesterday, going down the highway, this struck me - There are signs saying "Bridge Ices before Road" ahead of every bridge on the road.
Why ? Do you have to do modify the way you are driving when a bridge ices before road ?
I personally never have ...
A brief web search reveals that there are 588,768 bridges in the US.
If it costs $250 to put up and maintain a sign, thats $147 Million.
Go ahead Department of Transportation - Get rid of these signs.
And please expand I-40 near Cary, NC while you are at it ;-)
Note: Readers have informed me that the sign is related to actual ice, rather than the verb ice that refers to a level difference on the road, which was what I thought. Still doesnt make sense to me though - People should know this anyways, and if they slow down only when they see the sign, which is like 1 meter ahead of the bridge, theres going to be no use.
Note II: A reader sent me this story ....
Tour in USA – the warning sign “watch for ice on bridge”
8th December 2005 from Memphis to Dallas
The rented car-drive to here, Dallas, from Memphis was ok, 7 hours plus 2 * 20 minute break, the car was a Dodge Stratus 4door sedan, 2.7 liter engine automatic. The fuel consumption = some 9 Liter/KM.
Actually I hoped for a better km/liter consumption actually I planned to drive at 60MPH speed, but as the traffic flows at 70mph including - and mainly - the huge gigantic trucks/lorries, I had to be a bit faster and switch to a steady 75mph (120km/h), so not having the trucks "sitting on my tail".
Dallas to Houston.
I arrived here to HOUSTON safely Thursday 4pm afternoon DEC the 8th, from DALLAS, after over 15 hours on the road, instead of 5(!), driving in the most terrible and fierce road-conditions I ever experienced.
HORROR ON THE DALLAS-HOUSTON FREEWAY:
People killed, injured, wounded, vehicles crushed and wracked, all this due solid ice on the road surface of the many bridges.
Begin this episode back in Dallas. Wednesday evening the temperature fell well below zero and the sizzling rain built up this ice cover condition. Even to walk became very difficult. I asked for the meaning of the warning sign “watch for ice on bridge”, was explained that because there is a very cold airflow beneath the bridges this builds up a thick firm solid ice covering.
We listened to the weather forecast, and learned that more the later the condition will get more hazardous. I started out at midnight, after a double-espresso at Starbucks, and full tank of petrol (gas).
At the first ramp to a city freeway a car nervously “sits on my tail” but I continue the ascend and the curb very cautiously. Reaching the freeway this car ignores road conditions, and accelerates to overtake me. He skids right in front of me, loses control, I see in the mirror as he swings 2 lanes, crashes “head on” to the concrete wall, than spins and gets “smeard” to the wall. I couldn’t stop for the traffic flow, was just sorry for him and his brand new car.
I “feel” the road-condition and set my speed to 40mph (yes 40 and NOT 70), and upon approaching a bridge with that ice warning sign I slow down to 15mph (!) with warning blinkers on, and flashing all possible warning lights for the fellow behind. The trucks, the lorries and the semi-trailers (here called “18 wheelers”, though some have 40 or more) kept regular speed, ignoring weather/road conditions, they are heavy and safe – that what they thought than. As I drive on in my pace I see many crashed/overturned vehicles in the roadside in the opposite direction, including those gigantic huge heavy lorries, sometimes 2 or 3 collided together, overturned upside-down, back-to-front and facing opposite direction.
Who knows what happened to their drivers/passengers. The same scene appeared nearly near every bridge, we mean the small bridges just 10 – 30 meters long those over creeks and landfolds, and there are many dozens of them on the highway, (not those big and long bridges over rivers / connecting islands). Driving on, suddenly the whole traffic is stalled, must have happened a major accident, judging by the volume of emergency/rescue vehicles on site. Somehow we managed to detour, than I drove into a nearby village to take a pause, but the village was completely darkened, all asleep, not knowing nothing about all the horror going on the highway, the merciless weather has caused. The temperature was 18F ( -6C, minus six Celsius) very unusual for the south DALLAS-HOUSTON probably the reason for not knowing how to drive in these conditions (it’s not wise just to press the gas pedal, what is even fatal).
So then after I returned to the road, driving very carefully as approaching these ice surfaced bridges. Driving at my pace, we came to another road block, and this time we stalled for 1 and a half hour, just sitting in the heated cars and watching the rescue vehicles arriving from the opposite direction. Must have been a very heavy collision. At the closest gas-exit I turned off the highway, but still everything was closed. No choice, keep on driving, and now I meet a fatal accident on a bridge itself, the police cars were already there, I see several cars crashed up and blocking the right lane. On the road were lying 3 covered bodies, and parts of clothing scattered all around. From a sleeve was a hand-palm peeking (!). I continued with even a slower speed. 30mph road and 10 mph (yes, ten) approaching a bridge.
What actually stopped me from continuing driving was the following:
I noticed 2 cars overturned and a man climbing the bank to the roadside waiving his both hands as for help. I see his 4X4 overturned and all wheels spinning full speed.
I assumed somebody perhaps trapped inside, I stop very gradually and back up to him asking if help needed. No he says, I just want to warn to drive slowly, and to notify the police. Suddenly he yells WATCH OUT! I see in the mirror another car pulling up behind me, he lost control and came skidding right into me!! The last fraction of a second I managed to move forward, and saw him spinning into the ditch. Phew! What an escape! I drove off, let rescue cars do the rescue job.
At the next first exit I got off the road for a long time, just hanging around some McDonald’s or alike, have coffee, read newspapers, making phonecalls.
When I got back to the highway, the road-conditions were the same even 9am, the not yet eased. The only difference was the behavior of the drivers’, the speed was much slower. So I kept my pace, 30mph road 10mph bridge.
An example to Chinese curse: “let your life be an interesting one”!
Why ? Do you have to do modify the way you are driving when a bridge ices before road ?
I personally never have ...
A brief web search reveals that there are 588,768 bridges in the US.
If it costs $250 to put up and maintain a sign, thats $147 Million.
Go ahead Department of Transportation - Get rid of these signs.
And please expand I-40 near Cary, NC while you are at it ;-)
Note: Readers have informed me that the sign is related to actual ice, rather than the verb ice that refers to a level difference on the road, which was what I thought. Still doesnt make sense to me though - People should know this anyways, and if they slow down only when they see the sign, which is like 1 meter ahead of the bridge, theres going to be no use.
Note II: A reader sent me this story ....
Tour in USA – the warning sign “watch for ice on bridge”
8th December 2005 from Memphis to Dallas
The rented car-drive to here, Dallas, from Memphis was ok, 7 hours plus 2 * 20 minute break, the car was a Dodge Stratus 4door sedan, 2.7 liter engine automatic. The fuel consumption = some 9 Liter/KM.
Actually I hoped for a better km/liter consumption actually I planned to drive at 60MPH speed, but as the traffic flows at 70mph including - and mainly - the huge gigantic trucks/lorries, I had to be a bit faster and switch to a steady 75mph (120km/h), so not having the trucks "sitting on my tail".
Dallas to Houston.
I arrived here to HOUSTON safely Thursday 4pm afternoon DEC the 8th, from DALLAS, after over 15 hours on the road, instead of 5(!), driving in the most terrible and fierce road-conditions I ever experienced.
HORROR ON THE DALLAS-HOUSTON FREEWAY:
People killed, injured, wounded, vehicles crushed and wracked, all this due solid ice on the road surface of the many bridges.
Begin this episode back in Dallas. Wednesday evening the temperature fell well below zero and the sizzling rain built up this ice cover condition. Even to walk became very difficult. I asked for the meaning of the warning sign “watch for ice on bridge”, was explained that because there is a very cold airflow beneath the bridges this builds up a thick firm solid ice covering.
We listened to the weather forecast, and learned that more the later the condition will get more hazardous. I started out at midnight, after a double-espresso at Starbucks, and full tank of petrol (gas).
At the first ramp to a city freeway a car nervously “sits on my tail” but I continue the ascend and the curb very cautiously. Reaching the freeway this car ignores road conditions, and accelerates to overtake me. He skids right in front of me, loses control, I see in the mirror as he swings 2 lanes, crashes “head on” to the concrete wall, than spins and gets “smeard” to the wall. I couldn’t stop for the traffic flow, was just sorry for him and his brand new car.
I “feel” the road-condition and set my speed to 40mph (yes 40 and NOT 70), and upon approaching a bridge with that ice warning sign I slow down to 15mph (!) with warning blinkers on, and flashing all possible warning lights for the fellow behind. The trucks, the lorries and the semi-trailers (here called “18 wheelers”, though some have 40 or more) kept regular speed, ignoring weather/road conditions, they are heavy and safe – that what they thought than. As I drive on in my pace I see many crashed/overturned vehicles in the roadside in the opposite direction, including those gigantic huge heavy lorries, sometimes 2 or 3 collided together, overturned upside-down, back-to-front and facing opposite direction.
Who knows what happened to their drivers/passengers. The same scene appeared nearly near every bridge, we mean the small bridges just 10 – 30 meters long those over creeks and landfolds, and there are many dozens of them on the highway, (not those big and long bridges over rivers / connecting islands). Driving on, suddenly the whole traffic is stalled, must have happened a major accident, judging by the volume of emergency/rescue vehicles on site. Somehow we managed to detour, than I drove into a nearby village to take a pause, but the village was completely darkened, all asleep, not knowing nothing about all the horror going on the highway, the merciless weather has caused. The temperature was 18F ( -6C, minus six Celsius) very unusual for the south DALLAS-HOUSTON probably the reason for not knowing how to drive in these conditions (it’s not wise just to press the gas pedal, what is even fatal).
So then after I returned to the road, driving very carefully as approaching these ice surfaced bridges. Driving at my pace, we came to another road block, and this time we stalled for 1 and a half hour, just sitting in the heated cars and watching the rescue vehicles arriving from the opposite direction. Must have been a very heavy collision. At the closest gas-exit I turned off the highway, but still everything was closed. No choice, keep on driving, and now I meet a fatal accident on a bridge itself, the police cars were already there, I see several cars crashed up and blocking the right lane. On the road were lying 3 covered bodies, and parts of clothing scattered all around. From a sleeve was a hand-palm peeking (!). I continued with even a slower speed. 30mph road and 10 mph (yes, ten) approaching a bridge.
What actually stopped me from continuing driving was the following:
I noticed 2 cars overturned and a man climbing the bank to the roadside waiving his both hands as for help. I see his 4X4 overturned and all wheels spinning full speed.
I assumed somebody perhaps trapped inside, I stop very gradually and back up to him asking if help needed. No he says, I just want to warn to drive slowly, and to notify the police. Suddenly he yells WATCH OUT! I see in the mirror another car pulling up behind me, he lost control and came skidding right into me!! The last fraction of a second I managed to move forward, and saw him spinning into the ditch. Phew! What an escape! I drove off, let rescue cars do the rescue job.
At the next first exit I got off the road for a long time, just hanging around some McDonald’s or alike, have coffee, read newspapers, making phonecalls.
When I got back to the highway, the road-conditions were the same even 9am, the not yet eased. The only difference was the behavior of the drivers’, the speed was much slower. So I kept my pace, 30mph road 10mph bridge.
An example to Chinese curse: “let your life be an interesting one”!
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