PHOTOS: Westbrook, Maine Rail Bridge Opens Up Box Truck Like a Tin Can

If you thought drivers hitting the Auburn, Maine Walmart pole repeatedly was bad, we may have a new champion of destruction in the town of Westbrook.

There are a couple of bridges in Westbrook that used to carry trains along the Mountain Division line that ran from Portland to St. Johnsbury Vermont. It was owned and operated originally by the Maine Central Railroad. These bridges have been standing for a long time and are by no means modern. They're structurally sound but aren't built to the heights that they would be if built today.

One of them is on Cumberland Street and leads into the Sappi Mill.

The other crosses over Brown Street on the Mountain Division.

As you can see, both are marked with a clearance of 13' 6" for Cumberland Street and 11' 5" for Brown. The 13' 6" height of the Cumberland Street bridge is a bit more forgiving than the 11' 5" on Brown. They've both been hit, but Cumberland Street deals out less damage. Brown Street is a can opener and it wins every single time, much like the Auburn Walmart pole.

There were no injuries, just inattentive drivers either not knowing the height of their truck, not reading the sign that tells them or both.

This same bridge was struck by a truck in April 2024 and that driver was arrested for Operating after Suspension and Violation of Conditions of Release. 

There is a solution to this problem, but it's not 100% foolproof. This bridge in Durham, North Carolina had a warning system that detected over-height vehicles and flashed a sign reading "Overweight Must Turn." That helped as well as raising the bridge by eight inches, but drivers are still oblivious.