Tour Bus Runs Into Covered Bridge On Maple Street

[Henry]

Fairfax Fire & Rescue have been called out to a reported motor vehicle accident between a Tour Bus and the Covered Bridge - You just knew this was going to happen sooner or later.

[Henry]

Hope somebody around has a camera

[GamingWeasel]

The bus was too tall, and knocked boards off the top of both ends of the bridge.  No serious damage is apparent.  I lent them one of the many ladders of Justin Brown, to retrieve the boards from on top of the bus.  I didnt think to take pictures though, sorry.

As was already said, it was just a matter of time!

I'm surprised there hasnt been a vehicle-vehicle accident yet.

[Henry]

Thanks Mike,  I was hoping you would get on and let us know - Thank God it did not hit any of the big structural beams.  I am assuming the bridge is back open - If not, I will go over Boissoneault Road to go to Church at 11 a.m.

[Chris Santee]

the bridge is open at this time.

[Margie]

Mike was also there fairly soon after.  Apparently there was also a Winnebago that went thru recently that broke some boards...and it's own satellite dish and things.  My question is:  how does the driver of a tour bus actually believe he can fit a BUS thru a covered bridge???  Even with the signs that give the maximum height, people are just more concerned about getting where they want to go.  I am very concerned about the health of the covered bridge.  This detour can't end soon enough...

[Chris Santee]

It was not a huge tour bus,
but it was too tall to make it through.

[Rev. Elizabeth]

..and unless you live around here, how are you even going to know that there is a bridge there...granted the driver shouldn't have tried to get through, but perhaps he though there was no other way....

[MikeF9]

I took a couple of pictures, just need to get the new computer sqared away, and I will post them here. May be this evening.

[Sue W.]

Way back when, I used to be a bus driver, I can't tell you how many times it was drilled into our heads busses do not go through covered bridges.  I guess they knew what they were talking about.  Hope everything is ok.

[mirjo]

I personally don't think that the "detour" signs are adequate for non-local traffic. In fact, I don't know that there are any directing people to go one way or another. Vtrans (or whoever) didn't give much thought to people from out of town traveling through the area.The other day a big tractor trailer had made its way to the yellow light. He was holding up traffic behind him (thankfully, no me) there was no way for him to go except up Flecher road across swamp rd or back to cambridge. He was gone when I returned so someone got him on some road.

He should not have gotten that far in the first place...there should be signs of a detour further out.  As for folks coming into town from the north other than the sign saying the bridge is out, there are no detour signs leading people to boissoneault road. There aren't any signs leading people to Hunt st, you just have to go there and once there take a guess as to which left is the right choice. It's all very poorly marked and we don't notice it because we live here and know where we are going! 

 

[GamingWeasel]

I'm not sure who is holding the boards from the bridge, but I have a couple of them leaning against my house right next to the front door, at 22 Maple.  Whoever is going to repair the bridge can pick them up whenever they want.

[cedarman]

I believe Chris pointed out in a previous posting that State Highways CANNOT be detoured on local roads.  I haven't been to Cambridge lately, but I was told there is a sign directing truck traffic to take 15 to essex and around back to St. Albans.

[Kathleen]

There is also an electronic sign on route 7 in Georgia directing people wanting to go south on 104 to detour on route 7.

[mirjo]

I believe Chris pointed out in a previous posting that State Highways CANNOT be detoured on local roads.

I don't know if Chris pointed it out or not, I didn't see it, regardless it's  a stupid law if a state highway is blocked and there is a way around it that takes an extra five minutes that is (obviously) going to be a "local road." If there were better detour signs routing people to boissoneault road, maple street wouldn't get used as much as it does & the bridge wouldn't get the abuse its getting. There is no logical reason not to detour traffic on the local roads except in the case of truck traffic.