It’s no secret that Lansing has a love, bordering on cult-like obsession, for a particular short clearance bridge in the city—the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge.
Or, perhaps better known by its more affectionate nickname, Big Penny.
Big Penny is the name we’ve given this short clearance bridge that munches on too-tall trucks and other vehicles that think they’re short enough to pass under.
How Lansing Honors Its Favorite Bridge
We love Big Penny SO much, that we:
- Keep a current scoreboard posted next to the bridge keeping a running tally of how many trucks it’s munched on (22 so far this year and 101 since 2004)
- Adorn the bridge, herself, with eyes and menacing teeth
- Throw parties in her honor
- Dedicate social media pages to her
- Write songs about her
- Create effigies of her around town
- Update her listing on Google Maps
- Write these very articles about her
And now, she’s even famous enough to have landed herself on PBS!
Big Penny Lands a Spot on PBS
Mrs. Mask, a teacher in the Lansing School District, was featured on the video, teaching us what an ode is and learning about the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge all in one fell swoop. You can check out this Ode to Big Penny HERE.
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What I love about this Ode to Big Penny and the video featured on PBS is that this all started with something rather simple: people not paying attention.
There are more than a handful of different signs and signals that warn drivers about the bridge’s low clearance. There are even blinking warning lights at a safe stopping point if it’s detected that your vehicle is taller than the 12 foot clearance…