Truck Driver Crashes Into Pontchartrain Expressway Bridge, Snarls Traffic For 10 Hours
A truck driver blames improper signage and on-street parking for the crash into the Pontchartrain Expressway bridge which closed the exit ramp to St. Charles Avenue and Carondelet Street in New Orleans for hours yesterday. No one was hurt during the incident.
Around 11 a.m., truck driver Bill Carter tried to turn left onto Carondelet Street off of the U.S. 90 exit ramp when he struck the bridge and became stuck. Carter said that he had made the turn hundreds of times and that the problem was that he could not get wide enough because of parked cars, which caused his tires to pop up onto the curb, which in turn caused his truck to hit the bridge. Carter said that the city should either restrict parking on the street or put up signs that restrict truck traffic.
Traffic in the area was backed up for hours while the truck was freed. Some motorists expressed frustration with the situation, while others showed sympathy toward the truck driver.
A local towing company said that this is at least the fifth time they have had to extract a truck from a similar situation in recent months. The Department of Transportation and Development said that there are no immediate plans to rectify the situation.
Carter was cited with reasonable vigilance, a ticket only issued in New Orleans. The citation is usually given to drivers who are involved in an accident but not at fault for the accident.
Sources:
WDSU