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On the way to work last Friday

Joezilla

Joezilla

Moderator- Wilderness and Survival Skills
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[youtube]wfCk9K5vACQ[/youtube]

When it rains hard, this interesting little bridge takes on a life of its own. There is another bridge way down the river that doesn't flood, but it adds 20 minutes onto the commute. With the water rushing, if it is high enough to come past the half mark on the tires, I don't go, but anything before that is OK.
 
Joe,

Good safety thread. It's amazing how many people underestimate the forces involved with flowing water.
 
How high is the "high mark" on your tires?


There's a couple areas around here that get pretty flooded in heavy rain, to the point the roads need to be closed due to deep puddles. It's always funny to see a Dodge Neon or something similar in the middle of a pond sized puddle, with water halfway up the doors, abandoned until the water levels go down:rolleyes:
 
6shooter said:
How high is the "high mark" on your tires?
Click to expand...

about 12" or so. If the water hits the body, it will pick it up. It depends on the flow too. If its flowing soft but 8", I would rather cross it than a 4" hard flow. There is a upturned scout down the river that someone drowned in, trying to cross that very same bridge. I don't play games on it and have turned around quite a few times.
 
I don't drive through water like that, no matter the depth. It's not worth the chance IMO.
 
Thats your opinion and you are welcome to it!

I'll chalk mine up to experience for now. Like driving in the snow, you know when to stay off the road and when you can get away with it.
 
I would love to see a comparison pic when the water is down. As you say, knowing your area and limits are priceless.
 
A professor of mine sent me a video of a 2 lane bridge failing under similar circumstances. In that one, the water wasn't even overtopping the bridge yet, but the culvert couldn't handle it. It's a pretty amazing thing to see what water can do when it gets rolling.

I'd post the vid, but I don't know how & don't have a host for it... it's just in my email.

After several hydraulics classes and spending time on some flashy rivers like that, I'm personally very cautious when it comes to vehicles and crossing flowing water. I've been in too many field situations where the time I've spent getting out of something is much longer than the extra time it would've taken going around it. It's no big deal 90% of the time. It's just that I happen to hit the worst 10% more often than not. YMMV.


BTW... how wide & deep is that stream in the dry season?
 
Build them high ! Here's an old railway bridge just opened for pedestrian traffic. The view of the Hudson Valley is fantastic ! www.walkway.org
 
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