11foot8 bridge
You might remember it as can opener bridge, 11foot8 truck crash
The archive has not found a surviving copy.
2008·Early YouTube·shocking
A fixed camera on one bridge that became a decade-long internet institution.
At a glanceThe facts
- Spread in
- 2008
- Format
- Phenomenon
- Where
- South Gregson Street, Durham, North Carolina
- Made by
- Jürgen Henn, who has filmed from a nearby office since April 2008
- Also known as
- The Can Opener
- Origin
- Origin not yet established
- Available
- Not held by ViralWorld
What this wasThe story
A phenomenon classified under cars, described as shocking.
Why it matteredWhat changed
A man who works beside a low railway bridge has filmed more than 180 lorries hitting it. The bridge was raised eight inches in 2019 and was hit again within a month.
TimelineIn order
- Made
The bridge is built, with eleven feet eight inches beneath it.1
- Posted
Henn begins filming.1
- Corrected
The bridge is raised to twelve feet four inches, the most possible without changing nearby level crossings.1
- Later
A vehicle hits it again.1
What people misrememberSet straight
Commonly remembered asIt is still eleven foot eight.
ActuallyIt has been twelve foot four since 2019. The standard minimum is fourteen.1
Why it is here: something the internet still knows by name · it got out of its own corner of the internet fast · still being watched and quoted years later
Where it came fromWhat we know
Original source uncertain. This is the earliest copy currently known.
No original upload has been established for this record. The index is showing the earliest copy it currently knows about, and says so rather than guessing.
Not established. This index only names a creator where the evidence supports it.
More from 2008You were there
SourcesWhat was read
Sources last read on . That date is about the history on this page. Whether the media still plays is checked separately and can change any day. How ViralWorld documents things