The CP Rail overpass on Winnipeg Street bears the scars of many a collision. Semis routinely fail to make it under, despite signs clearly marking the maximum ground clearance of 3.8 meters.
Neither CP Rail nor the city know exactly how many collisions have happened here, but the owner of Nicky’s Café, which overlooks the underpass, will tell you that he’s lost count.
So why have there been so many accidents, despite the signage? Dr. Zisis Papandreou, a physics professor at the University of Regina, says that it’s not just about the height of the truck, it’s also about the length.
“Some of the trucks that go there are too long, and even though the front part of the truck clears, when they get to the middle or the back end, the truck gets stuck because it’s starting to turn up yet the back end hasn’t cleared,” Papandreou said.
He says the signage could be beefed up.
“The only solution here is besides a posting on the height of the truck, a posting on the length of the truck and just simply not allowing trucks that are that long go from that path, they just have to take another route,” he said.
Another contributing factor is out of town truck drivers using GPS devices – the designated “trucking route” takes them under that bridge. The city is responsible for designating trucking routes. In this case, it has
chosen Winnipeg Street for its proximity to nearby businesses, as well as it being an arterial road. It currently has no plans to change this, but has reviewed the site and made changes.
“In the last couple years, we have improved the signage to a brighter sheeting so that it’s more recognizable,” said Tom O’Connell from the City of Regina.
The city says it has also added more signs up the road, warning drivers to take alternate routes. In the meantime, the bridge’s battered surface will remain as a warning to others. A warning that is often too late.
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