One of Vermont’s historic covered bridges is under threat from modern technology.
Box truck drivers who rely on GPS can’t cross Lyndon’s 140-year-old Miller’s Run Bridge, despite signs such as flashing signs to deter vehicles that are too tall or too heavy from crossing. Pass frequently. The driver could face a $5,000 fine from the town, plus state fines.
Yet bridges continue to be destroyed.
“GPS is the most common excuse given by drivers who crash into bridges,” Lyndon City Administrator Justin Smith said. The real problem, he says, is a lack of common sense.
Historic covered bridge threatened by GPS instructions
The bridge was built in 1878 and renovated in 1995. It is located on a shortcut that motorists use to avoid downtown Lyndonville. The community has five historic covered bridges, including two in use, and calls itself the “Covered Bridge Capital of the NEK” (short for Northeast Kingdom area).
Police Chief Jack Harris estimates Miller’s Run Bridge is struck 20 times a day, at least once or twice. He said drivers are using GPS programs designed for passenger cars, not commercial vehicles. The damage is usually cosmetic, but on two occasions the bridge had to be closed for several months for repairs.
A delivery truck hit a pole in 2019, costing nearly $100,000 in engineering and repair costs, Smith said. If a driver is caught, the town will collect insurance money from the driver about half of the time. Many just drive off.
“They’ll claim they didn’t know there was a collision, but they would see the truck stop in the middle of the bridge and look up to see that it had hit the bridge,” said Police Chief Harris. I guess so,” he said. “I can count on one hand the number of people standing and waiting,” Harris said.
According to him, there are many people who have no experience driving box trucks, such as people who have just rented a box truck to move.
“Occasionally we have large campers passing by, but the bridge usually gets damaged because they take out the air conditioning units directly from the top,” he said.
Surveillance camera video shows multiple box trucks crashing on the historic Miller’s Run Covered Bridge in Lyndon, Vermont. Town officials say using GPS is a “common excuse” for drivers. (Michael Grant, via AP)
Neighborhood surveillance cameras installed on the bridge helped track down some errant drivers.
Bill Caswell, president of the National Covered Bridge Preservation Association, said Lindon is far from alone.
“If you visit many covered bridges in Vermont and other states, you will see broken portal boards and broken or missing roof braces,” he said in an email.
Last November, a tractor-trailer truck caused significant damage to a covered bridge in Princeton, Illinois, and a year earlier, a bridge in Ohio suffered similar damage, he said. A historic covered bridge in Cobb County, Georgia, was hit multiple times before metal barriers were installed at both ends. It also has warning lights and flashing lights.
“Despite all the warnings, barriers are still being broken,” Caswell wrote. “But the bridge is now protected.”
Box truck rental companies in Lyndonville are now warning drivers about covered bridges in the area, and the town is installing steel beams in front of the bridges to force over-high trucks to a complete stop. We are considering.
A Google spokesperson said, “Google Maps is designed for drivers of standard-sized vehicles. To get the best route, drivers of trucks and large vehicles will need a map designed specifically for these vehicle types. “We recommend using the navigation tools provided.”
Apple did not respond to an email requesting comment.
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Smith said there are varying opinions in the town about what should be done.
“It’s clear that there are people out there who want to see something that protects the bridge so they can keep it in place,” he said. “Others say, ‘It’s time to take it off, set it aside, and put in a more standard bridge.’
“I swear to you, if we take the bridge down and don’t replace it, people will go into the river. It’s very frustrating to think we’re following some orders.”
