Wikipedia says they provide a bridge when water flow is low.
Under high-flow conditions, water runs over the roadway and prevents traffic.
This approach is cheaper than building a bridge to raise the level of the road above the highest flood stage of a river, particularly in developing countries or in semi-arid areas with rare high-volume rain.
http://www.wanderingvirginia.com/2020/05/short-ridge-trail-gwnf.html
https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Low-water-bridge-crossings-a-hidden-flood-danger-570311291.html
More correctly refered to as a "low water crossing". Sometime there is a pipe under the paving but not always.
ReplyDeleteI disagree based on what I came across while looking up the phrase ' low water bridge '.
DeleteCertainly it's just as accurate to call it a low water crossing, however, that's not what I came across over and over. Just the number of times I found that phrase ' low water bridge ' being used indicates to me it's a common phrase, and it wasn't until a moment ago that I was replying to an email, that I found there are a couple of these across the San Diego river that I drive across several times a week, each, that are ' low water bridges ' and only have water over the top during rainstorm resulting flash floods.
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/examples-of-stupid-people-who-drove.html
As for "more correctly", I'm going to disagree, based on my looking it up, and figure that there must be thousands of these in the USA, and it would only be more correct if a study of the vast number of them were undertaken, and a result found that looks into what each is called, termed, or referred to by the road departments that made them, upkeep them, and the locals in those areas around them call them
It’s a “FORD” crossing.......even when you drive a Holden.
ReplyDeleteIn Texas they are called low water crossings and there are thousands of them. They are particularly dangerous during the rainy season.
ReplyDeleteWe call them both here in Missouri. I have to cross one every day to get to town. If it's running high, then sometimes we don't go. You may have to wait a couple hours for it to die down (hopefully) and then venture out. The school bus won't pick up kids if it is too high. Just something you get used to.
ReplyDeleteIn Kansas it's a low water bridge. They are pretty common on dirt roads. And some you really don't want to try and cross if they have water. You can't always tell how steep they are.
ReplyDelete