Low Clearance Height 13'6"

Drop the bags and stand on it!

 

If u ever take us30 thru chicago heights it is a 13 6 bridge there and i see van guys clear it all the time. The only bridge thats ever given me the heebee jeebes is there is one on us90 from van horn tx to alpine tx somewhere around there and it is marked 13.7 but i am convinced it is actually 13.7 on the dot because man i even get the shivers going under with a midroof and a flatbed . Looks alot shorter than its marked

 

There's a set of those in Chicago. Driving a condo and van trailer I'd cringe a lot my first few years. Hauling OD freight, there are many more bridges than just around Chicago that I pucker a bit when I go under them.

 

its also usually marked at lowest height which is usually the shoulder most bridges have an arch

 

It is measured at curb so 13 6 is supposed to be 13 9 in lane

 

drop airbags 1 minute before u go under. bring that trailer noise down. ride on brother

 

bridges in chicago heights is the least concerned. rocks and fireworks are my first

 

Just remember that NY is the only state that has signs that say the height of certain bridges, but they are always a foot higher. So there could be a bridge that says 12'8" in NY but the height of the bridge is actually 13'8". Obviously there are other bridges in NY that are marked a certain height and they are the height that the sign reads, but there will be a notice about that on the sign.

Also, I know there is a tunnel on 476 in PA I believe that says 13'6". I puckered going into that.

 

What are you hauling? The only folks that have to worry about 13'6" bridges are flatbeds. Years ago, you had tall 5th wheels or big rubber, so you had to pay attention. I did a lot of Chicago work, home of the low bridge, and set my CB antennas at 13'7", and if my antennas cleared, I was good to go. I made it under many bridges that were marked 13'4", although, many were dug out, and that was still the old sign.
BTW, it's a little known fact ( in my best Cliff Klaven voice) I was told, the reason for the standard 13'6" bridge height, is because that's the height of a army tank on a lowboy. Believe it or not, the interstates were not created for us cushy truck drivers, and were made to transport military convoys in an emergency. Thankfully, we never needed them for that purpose,,,so far.