[chris]

Not sure the warning system could have been anymore clear.

[Guns N' Coffee]

Too vague, not specific enough

[kellyhound]

The Linden Avenue Railroad Bridge in Zanesville, Ohio, affectionately known by locals as Lenny or the Can Opener, is struck about 30 to 40 times each year by oversized vehicles.

Because of the bridge's exceptionally low clearance of 9 feet 7 inches, trucks, moving vans, and campers constantly fall victim to it.

Local authorities and data from the Ohio Department of Transportation reported that the bridge was hit over 120 times in a three-year span between 2020 and 2022, averaging more than 40 collisions annually.

Even after advanced laser detection systems and flashing warning signs were installed, the accidents haven't stopped. By the late summer of 2026, the bridge had already recorded nearly 30 strikes for the year, keeping it on pace for its usual annual average.

The most common culprits are out-of-town drivers or people driving rental moving trucks (like U-Hauls). These drivers usually use standard smartphone apps like Google Maps or Apple Maps, which are designed for passenger cars and do not account for commercial vehicle heights or low clearances. Trusting the GPS, drivers go into autopilot mode and stop paying attention to physical road signs.

The Linden Avenue bridge is uniquely positioned right at the end of Zanesville's famous Y-Bridge. As drivers exit the Y-Bridge onto Linden Avenue, there is actually a designated left lane that offers slightly more clearance. Many drivers see a truck ahead of them use that lane safely, or they misjudge the road's layout and mistakenly assume both lanes are safe.

Also by the time a driver approaches the bridge from certain directions, they have already passed upwards of a dozen low-clearance warning signs. Because drivers are constantly bombarded by road signs, billboards, and phone notifications, they suffer from sign fatigue and mentally tune them out.