State Department of Transportation Announces Work to Begin on Electronic Warning System to Prevent Bridge Strikes on Glenridge Road in Glenville

Contact: Bryan Viggiani, (518) 457-6400
Release Date: March 07, 2023

State Department of Transportation Announces Work to Begin on Electronic Warning System to Prevent Bridge Strikes on Glenridge Road in Glenville

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez today announced that work is getting underway next week on a $1.4 million project to install an electronic over-height vehicle detection system along Glenridge Road in the Town of Glenville, Schenectady County. The state-of-the-art system will use infrared sensors, message boards and flashing beacons to detect over-height vehicles and alert drivers that they are in danger of striking the low-clearance bridge ahead. Installation of the system is the latest step in a multi-pronged effort by New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to reduce instances of trucks and other vehicles striking the Canadian Pacific Railway-owned bridge that carries the rail line over Glenridge Road.

"Bridge strikes have been an all-too-common occurrence along Glenridge Road and have caused unnecessary delays for motorists and frustration for the neighboring community," Commissioner Dominguez said. "The Department of Transportation has already implemented several measures to enhance safety at this location and with the installation of this enhanced detection system we will be giving drivers of over-sized vehicles a clear an unmistakable warning that their vehicles are too tall for the road - but safety is everyone's responsibility and we need drivers to remain alert and heed the warning signs - as bridge strikes are 100 percent preventable."

Infrared detectors will be mounted on poles with accompanying electronic message boards and flashing beacons. When an over-height vehicle disrupts the continuity of the infrared beam, the system will trigger the nearby beacons to flash and the electronic message board to post a warning to the operator that their vehicle is too tall to fit underneath the bridge, which is posted with a vertical clearance of 10 feet, 11 inches. The system will also send an alert message to NYSDOT's 24-hour Transportation Management Center, which also will be able to monitor the location via traffic cameras that are to be installed as part of this project.

Two sets of infrared detectors along with two electronic message boards and two new flashing beacons will be installed for traffic in the westbound direction, with one set of each planned in the eastbound direction. Preliminary work is anticipated to begin next week and the project is expected to be completed later this year.

The installation of this active warning system is the latest step in the immediate and long-term plans announced in November 2021 by the Department of Transportation to reduce the number of bridge strikes at the Glenridge Road overpass. In July, the Department completed the construction of a vehicle turnaround area approximately 500 feet ahead of the railroad overpass for westbound vehicles, which is the direction of travel of the majority vehicles that have struck the bridge in recent years.

The Department in January 2022 activated flashing beacons above and below low-clearance warning signs in advance of the bridge in both directions. Additionally, 14 signs have long been in place in both directions over a 0.9-mile stretch of Glenridge Road warning truckers of the low clearance bridge just east of Hetcheltown Road. This includes nine advance signs in the westbound direction over approximately three-quarters of a mile. Pavement markings displaying similar warnings ahead of the bridge are consistently refreshed.

NYSDOT continues to alert drivers of over-height vehicles that consumer GPS and mobile phone mapping systems do not include warnings for bridge heights, which puts them at risk of collisions. Commercial-grade GPS systems, on the other hand, account for and include height, weight and other road restrictions.

The Department continues to partner and meet with local and state elected officials and the Trucking Association of New York to ensure that truckers use proper routes.

Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh said, "The work to install an electronic over-height vehicle detection system is yet another step forward in mitigating the notorious bridge strikes at Glenridge Road. We have had many conversations and thought of many proposed solutions over the years, and I greatly appreciate that Commissioner Dominguez and her team at the Department of Transportation have continued to prioritize this important project. I look forward to the completion of this latest effort and hope it helps to improve safety for local commuters and visiting travelers alike."

Glenville Town Supervisor Christopher Koetzle said, "We're pleased to see NYSDOT continue their commitment towards reducing the number of trucks striking this bridge. We're hopeful that this will prevent a number of strikes and therefore make travel through this busy corridor safer."

Trucking Association of New York President Kendra Hems said, "The Trucking Association of New York appreciates the work the NYS Department of Transportation is doing to prevent bridge strikes, particularly related to the strikes on the Glenridge Road rail bridge. Addressing the causes of bridge strikes is a top priority for the association. Education and enforcement are both important, but we believe the use of technology such as this is a critical component of any solution related to this issue."

For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org, or download the free 511NY mobile app.

Follow New York State DOT on Twitter: @NYSDOT. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/NYSDOT. For tweets from New York State DOT Region 1 (covering the Capital Region), follow @NYSDOTAlbany.

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