In my family, these days, there is a word even more reviled than the winning Yankees, and that is Penske. Now I have nothing against former auto racer Roger Penske, but I do have a beef with his company, Penske Truck Rental. It seems every box truck that slams through my beloved Millers Run Covered Bridge, as of late, has his name on the side of the truck.
Residents of Lyndonville, and I count myself as one of them, love that simple, one-lane bridge, located near the triangle of Center Street, Route 122 and Pudding Hill Road. It stretches over a lazy, meandering stream and my blood pressure immediately drops every time I cross it. With a covered bridge having been at that location since 1800, it is no wonder the bridge feels like an extended family member to everyone in the community.
Although blessedly historic in nature, the bridge has been facing a battle with technology since the popularity of online applications, such as Google Maps. These misguided applications do not seem to care about such pesky details as height limits and at 11 foot, 9 inches, the bridge is about three inches shorter than the standard rental box trucks that have slammed into its trusses.
One thing is for sure, if I was driving a vehicle foreign to me, I would be minding such advisements as height-limit warning signs, but that does not seem to be the case. Every motorist as of late claims they didn’t see any such signs before slamming into the bridge, and this is where I get frustrated. There are three, repeat three, signs warning motorists of the bridge’s height coming from the Lyndon Institute side, including one that is flashing. How does one miss a flashing sign?! There should be a Shippee Family Eye Care appointment in their future.
I often wonder about the conversations these drivers have with police officers when they are stopped. “No officer, I missed the flashing light sign, the second warning sign and then the third. I think if you had put in a fourth, that might have done the trick.” And I wonder if they ran the nearby stop sign just before they hit the Burma Shave of warning signs, as there was just one measly sign there.
Fortunately, there is a neighbor near the bridge that has a security camera, aimed right at the bridge, and every crash has been caught for posterity. It is interesting to note that every driver hesitates before they go through, no doubt thinking, “Can I make it?” I am interested at the mentality of the motorist who then decides, “I think I can. I’m going to gun it, Marge.” Wrong decision, bud, one that will cost you a hefty $5,000.
In recent days, there has been much discussion on how to solve this sad problem, as the bridge has been hit twice in the past week. The town is rushing iron-support beams through its budget and there is discussion of putting up even more signs. No one, at least in this town, wants the bridge to be closed and a new modern bridge put in its place. Part of the charm of the Millers Run Bridge is that it is still operational and you get the added charm of the “thanks finger wave” that Vermonters do when someone lets you through before going through themselves. That little bridge has captured our hearts and we are in desperate need of a solution, to end this damage, once and for all.
This weekend I will be tracking down Google Maps and truck-rental companies and see if I can stop these accidents from that side of the coin and will keep you informed. All that I know is until there are no collisions going forward, this concern will never be just water under the bridge.
Darcie McCann is the executive director of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.
One of the biggest issues is that whether you're using GPS, Google maps, or a paper map, that road will always look like the most obvious best way to get to the other side without having to go through those tight corners in downtown Lyndonville.
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One of the biggest issues is that whether you're using GPS, Google maps, or a paper map, that road will always look like the most obvious best way to get to the other side without having to go through those tight corners in downtown Lyndonville.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.