Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

The study of British and Irish roads - their construction, numbering, history, mapping, past and future official roads proposals and general roads musings.

There is a separate forum for Street Furniture (traffic lights, street lights, road signs etc).

Registered users get access to other forums including discussions about other forms of transport, driving, fantasy roads and wishlists, and roads quizzes.

Moderator: Site Management Team

User avatar
Fen Pikey
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2021 13:21
Location: East Suffolk

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by Fen Pikey »

BeenEverywhere wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:29 About 7-9 tonnes. Bear in mind that it's got the momentum of the trailer and another few tonnes of forklift behind it though.

If I were stabbing a guess, I'd say there's 20 tonne there if the trailer is empty, but that is a guess with no evidence or science behind it.

Again, total conjecture, but the car seems to be sitting in lane 2, at the same speed as the truck, so I wonder if they had seen something that didn't look right, and were attempting to hold traffic back for safety.

Yer about right there with weights...approx 8 ton for the unit and not much more for the trailer and about 2 for the fork lift,,,so not bad for a guess! I used to drive poxy lorries for a living before getting a proper job down the docks 8-)
The road of life is like a good woman.....they both have soft shoulder's and some dangerous curves. Travel with care 8-)
User avatar
Fen Pikey
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2021 13:21
Location: East Suffolk

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by Fen Pikey »

baroudeur wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:50 The driver was lucky that the way that the combination jack-knifed kept the tractor unit on the carriageway and the front of the trailer overhanging the drop. Had the tractor unit hit the barrier "head on" it would, probably, have fallen to the road below with or without the trailer.

Fifth wheel's and twist lock's are quite strong within reason ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A49Fz8FuNvw
The road of life is like a good woman.....they both have soft shoulder's and some dangerous curves. Travel with care 8-)
User avatar
Lockwood
Member
Posts: 3185
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 14:44
Location: Liphook

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by Lockwood »

I've got the image of a mother cat moving her kittens around now after seeing that clip
User avatar
Vierwielen
Member
Posts: 5674
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 21:21
Location: Hampshire

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by Vierwielen »

the cheesecake man wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 13:07
Bryn666 wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 22:36 I keep saying it but no one listens, why have we got monster 44t trucks using road networks not designed for them?
Because the EU said so? :stir:
The EU said so in order to harmonise trade. Just think of the logistics involved in taking a vehicle from the RoI to Lithuania if there was no harmonisation of maximum dimensions of vehicles. As a by-product of teh 44 tonne limit on HGVs, heavier tanks could be transported across Europe should the need arise.
User avatar
Fen Pikey
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2021 13:21
Location: East Suffolk

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by Fen Pikey »

Vierwielen wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 18:31
the cheesecake man wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 13:07
Bryn666 wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 22:36 I keep saying it but no one listens, why have we got monster 44t trucks using road networks not designed for them?
Because the EU said so? :stir:
The EU said so in order to harmonise trade. Just think of the logistics involved in taking a vehicle from the RoI to Lithuania if there was no harmonisation of maximum dimensions of vehicles. As a by-product of teh 44 tonne limit on HGVs, heavier tanks could be transported across Europe should the need arise.

Equally though a lot of roads and towns are not up for taking large vehicles, it makes sense having heavier vehicles as it can help reduce the amount of commercial traffic on the roads which in turn saves the consumer money and there's less environmental damage. Obviously larger vehicles can damage buildings via vibration even though they have better suspension than previous vehicles of days form by.

There are ways to reduce vehicles on the road.... better use of empty commercial vehicles whether small or large and even us as the consumer can help by buying stuff that doesn't have to travel as far.

SMT note : I think I've corrected the quoting in this post properly.
The road of life is like a good woman.....they both have soft shoulder's and some dangerous curves. Travel with care 8-)
User avatar
JohnnyMo
Member
Posts: 6982
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 13:56
Location: Letchworth, Herts, England

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by JohnnyMo »

Vierwielen wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 18:31
the cheesecake man wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 13:07
Bryn666 wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 22:36 I keep saying it but no one listens, why have we got monster 44t trucks using road networks not designed for them?
Because the EU said so? :stir:
The EU said so in order to harmonise trade. Just think of the logistics involved in taking a vehicle from the RoI to Lithuania if there was no harmonisation of maximum dimensions of vehicles. As a by-product of teh 44 tonne limit on HGVs, heavier tanks could be transported across Europe should the need arise.
Tank transports -- Chieftain Tank 55 Tonnes by the time you include the transporter we are looking at 70 tonnes. M1 Abrams about the same, Leopard are even heavier.
“The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie" - Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
Johnny Mo
User avatar
Vierwielen
Member
Posts: 5674
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 21:21
Location: Hampshire

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by Vierwielen »

JohnnyMo wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 09:54
Vierwielen wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 18:31
the cheesecake man wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 13:07

Because the EU said so? :stir:
The EU said so in order to harmonise trade. Just think of the logistics involved in taking a vehicle from the RoI to Lithuania if there was no harmonisation of maximum dimensions of vehicles. As a by-product of teh 44 tonne limit on HGVs, heavier tanks could be transported across Europe should the need arise.
Tank transports -- Chieftain Tank 55 Tonnes by the time you include the transporter we are looking at 70 tonnes. M1 Abrams about the same, Leopard are even heavier.
These roadsigns are very common in Germany (50 tonne max for traffic in both directions or 70 tonnes when traffic is moving in one direction only). I have seen similar signs in Aldershot such as this one on the bridge that crosses the Basingstoke Canal.
booshank
Member
Posts: 611
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 19:05

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by booshank »

I've often wondered why these flimsy-looking railing style barriers are often used on UK bridges, when concrete barriers are used in other countries.

Compare say the location of this incident over the M25

with this in Canada

or this in South Africa.

It's also noticeable that in Canada they seem to have given greater importance to stopping a vehicle going off the bridge than crossing the central reservation below, which is the other way round from here where concrete central reservation barriers have been retrofitted in many places, but I haven't seen them retrofitted on bridges.
User avatar
jervi
Member
Posts: 1596
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 16:29
Location: West Sussex

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by jervi »

booshank wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 20:47 I've often wondered why these flimsy-looking railing style barriers are often used on UK bridges, when concrete barriers are used in other countries.

Compare say the location of this incident over the M25

with this in Canada

or this in South Africa.

It's also noticeable that in Canada they seem to have given greater importance to stopping a vehicle going off the bridge than crossing the central reservation below, which is the other way round from here where concrete central reservation barriers have been retrofitted in many places, but I haven't seen them retrofitted on bridges.
By the looks of it they need concrete edge barriers in Canada by the amount of marks on it!

I guess it is just the standard. If you put other safety features* in place you will be less likely to need them.
*MS1, Ribbed edge lines, reflective studs, limited & regulated driver's hours etc.

And we continue to use steel to this day it seems
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.29986 ... 384!8i8192

Also inter-carriageway collisions don't only put the driver at risk, but also on-coming vehicles which puts many people in danger (and the economic result of total closure of a motorway for a day). If someone drives off the edge of the bridge then it is mostly only themselves in danger (unless there is a road or railway directly below, that only puts the driver (and those in that vehicle) at risk and minimal economic impact.
Although looking at examples it is interesting to see that bridges over railways seem to be much better protected that bridges over other roads (including trunk).

Being able to see through the fence and that there is a drop may also have an impact on a driver who may otherwise not be aware that they are on a bridge, but I don't really seeing that having any bearing in practice.
booshank
Member
Posts: 611
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 19:05

Re: Lorry hangs over M25 bridge above the A2

Post by booshank »

jervi wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 21:41
booshank wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 20:47 I've often wondered why these flimsy-looking railing style barriers are often used on UK bridges, when concrete barriers are used in other countries.

Compare say the location of this incident over the M25

with this in Canada

or this in South Africa.

It's also noticeable that in Canada they seem to have given greater importance to stopping a vehicle going off the bridge than crossing the central reservation below, which is the other way round from here where concrete central reservation barriers have been retrofitted in many places, but I haven't seen them retrofitted on bridges.
By the looks of it they need concrete edge barriers in Canada by the amount of marks on it!

I guess it is just the standard. If you put other safety features* in place you will be less likely to need them.
*MS1, Ribbed edge lines, reflective studs, limited & regulated driver's hours etc.

And we continue to use steel to this day it seems
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.29986 ... 384!8i8192

Also inter-carriageway collisions don't only put the driver at risk, but also on-coming vehicles which puts many people in danger (and the economic result of total closure of a motorway for a day). If someone drives off the edge of the bridge then it is mostly only themselves in danger (unless there is a road or railway directly below, that only puts the driver (and those in that vehicle) at risk and minimal economic impact.
Although looking at examples it is interesting to see that bridges over railways seem to be much better protected that bridges over other roads (including trunk).

Being able to see through the fence and that there is a drop may also have an impact on a driver who may otherwise not be aware that they are on a bridge, but I don't really seeing that having any bearing in practice.
I don't really agree in this case. Looking at the Canadian road, the width of the central reservation and the ditch/depression in the middle, if a vehicle goes into it there's a good chance that the driver will be able to recover or the vehicle will overturn or be stopped/deflected by the "cheesewire" type barrier. If a vehicle goes off an overbridge onto the carriageway below, there is no possibility of recovery and less of a warning so I would say it's more dangerous.

But this is all a bit of a tangent from why we use insubstantial looking steel barriers.
Post Reply