Delaware bridge gets new warning signs after 7 crashes this year
Police say the underpass of the railroad bridge on Casho Mill Road in Newark, Delaware has been an issue for years.
NEWARK, Delaware (WPVI) -- Despite warning signs and flashing lights, people can't stop crashing into a Newark, Delaware railroad bridge.
So DelDOT is trying something new -- rubber balls called "clankers."
"Looks like hoppity hop balls hanging from a post to let everyone know the actual height," said neighbor Ben Long.
This is how they work.
"Rubber balloons that hang over the roadway at the height of the bridge and this is a mechanism for vehicles to know they are over the height and will strike the bridge if they hit the clankers," said Lt. Andrew Rubin with the Newark Police Department.
Police say the underpass of the railroad bridge on Casho Mill Road in Newark has been an issue for years. It has an 8-foot, 7-inch height requirement for vehicles passing through. Police say 14 crashes were reported in 2021 and seven so far this year.
Dilcher tells Action News he has seen multiple accidents with U-Haul and Penske trucks. Other neighbors say they've gotten used to seeing trucks slamming into the bridge.
"Just last week I saw a truck with a travel trailer that could not make it through. Had to back up, but in the meantime, traffic is backed up both ways," said Long.
The hope is these clankers are enough to detour larger trucks and keep traffic flowing.
