GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. — A project that aimed to reduce strikes at the North Grand Island Bridges in the City of Niagara Falls is now complete.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday said the $1.9 million project was necessary to help reduce the number of instances where trucks and other over-height vehicles strike the underpasses, which had been hit 28 times in the past 10 years.
To help alleviate that, electronic over-height detection systems are now in place along the Niagara Scenic Parkway, LaSalle Expressway, and the 190.
"Bridge strikes create dangerous situations and it’s imperative that we do all we can to prevent them," Governor Hochul said in a statement, announcing the completion of the project. "The electronic detection systems that have been installed on the approaches to the North Grand Island Bridges will enhance safety and help keep traffic moving on an important route for travelers headed to and from Niagara Falls and Canada.
"Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we need drivers to remain alert and heed the warning signs, as bridge strikes are 100 percent preventable."
The eastbound North Grand Island Bridge has a posted clearance of 11 feet, 8 inches. The westbound is at 12 feet.
The upgrades will rely on receiver sensors mounted on either side of the roadway, and an infrared transmitter before the bridge, creating an infrared beam over the road. Over-height vehicles that break the beam will trigger the receiver, which "sends a signal and activates a warning message alert on a dynamic message sign, notifying the driver to either exit immediately or pull into a refuge area."
It's a problem that needed to be addressed, according to state Department of Transportation commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.
"Bridge strikes have been an all-too-common occurrence at the North Grand Island Bridges, creating unwanted headaches for travelers and threatening the viability of our infrastructure," she said.
"With the installation of this modern detection system, we are giving drivers of over-sized vehicles a clear and unmistakable warning that their vehicles are too tall for the road, and it is imperative that they stay alert and abide by these warnings. Safety must always be the top priority."
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