Zipping along the Golden Gate Bridge
The iconic Golden Gate Bridge has always been dangerous for
commuters:
Since 1970, there here have been 128 head-on collisions on the bridge, resulting in 16 deaths, according to Clemens.
This week, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District finished installing movable barriers to prevent head on collisions and ease traffic flow during morning and evening commutes, to the relief of accident victims:
Dr. Grace Dammann, who pushed for a safer median barrier since becoming paralyzed from the crash, said she decided to drive in the "suicide lane" because she and her daughter were running late. Brian Clark, who was driving in the opposite direction, had just learned his father had terminal cancer.
"He passed out at the wheel, crossed over and hit my car," Dammann recalled.
Aside from addressing safety issues for travelers on the bridge, the new barriers use a "zipper truck" that is an engineering marvel. The truck is able to move 3,500 barriers that weigh 1,500 pounds each along the length of the bridge in a matter of minutes.
Check out the video of this new wonder below the fold.
Zipper Truck in Action - Courtesy: Golden Gate Bridge District.MP4 from Golden Gate Bridge District on Vimeo.