LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Louisvillians are accustomed to the underpass on 3rd Street and Eastern Parkway near UofL capturing and wrecking semi-trucks as they try to pass under its low ceiling. The height on one side is 11.8 feet, and the other is exactly 12 feet, both too low for most standard semi-trucks, which are about 13.6 feet tall.
Signage and flashing lights warn truck drivers not to try to pass under the bridge, but each year, trucks continue to get stuck and damaged from missing or ignoring those signs.
Today, amidst the closure of I-65, traffic has been rerouted on other interstates and through the city. At least four of these unsuspecting semi-drivers met the historic fate of many others who ignore the signage, warning lights, and legends about the ‘can opener’ as it is known colloquially.
Despite the upgrades, little has changed to stop semis from attempting to pass under the low ceiling, and with the ongoing shutdown of I-65, Louisville is sure to experience more traffic snarls in the area as other semis become wedged under this bridge…