Wichita has a ‘truck-killing bridge’ that no one seems too concerned about
There’s a bridge on Waterman that probably not many Wichitans know is a “truck-killing bridge.”
At least that’s what businessman Bruce Rowley calls it.
More than a decade ago, Rowley moved his office to near Waterman and Commerce, and not long after he and his staff heard some kind of loud bang.
“We didn’t know what it was.”
Someone ran in and said, “Oh, my gosh, somebody hit the bridge.”
The railroad bridge just outside the office has signs clearly marking 12 feet, zero inches.
Thinking the accident was an anomaly, Rowley said, “We thought that was just crazy.”
Then it happened again. And again. It actually became a fairly regular thing.
“From then on, when you hear that sound, you know exactly what has happened,” Rowley said. “Everyone usually rushes to the window to see how bad it is.”
For a time, his staff kept a tally of the number of days since the last crash by placing the count on paper and putting it in a window at the office. Then came a website, which Rowley said has since been taken down.
“People were kind of lighthearted about it at first,” he said.
Eventually, he talked with the city about the issue. A city official pointed out that there were already large, flashing lights and signs pointing out the height limits.
Rowley said it’s his understanding that the BNSF Railway has to stop trains and inspect the bridge after each accident.
No one with BNSF returned requests for comment. City spokeswoman Megan Lovely said any changes to the bridge would have to be done by BNSF. She said the city has mentioned concerns to the railway about trucks hitting the bridge.
“It went from this crazy, outrageous thing that happened to this funny thing that happened all the time . . . to ultimately this kind of sad thing where you feel really bad for these drivers,” Rowley said. “They’re obviously generally really upset.”
Once, Rowley said, a truck hit the bridge in the morning, a railroad inspector arrived, and the bridge was hit again while he was standing there.
So what was the inspector’s reaction?
“I can’t say it in print,” Rowley said.
He said he doesn’t “think you can just pin this on the government or the railroad.”
Rowley said he agrees that the city has plenty of warnings on the road.
“Could the city do more? I mean, sure, but would that really do it? And is it really the city’s responsibility then to take it further beyond large signs and flashing lights? At some point . . . it has to come down to drivers and truck owners.”
If he owned a company with any kind of a truck, Rowley said, “I would have a sign in my truck that says, ‘Do not drive on Waterman.’ ”
One time, Rowley noticed a concrete crew working on a sidewalk in front of Intrust Bank Arena across from his office. The crew was waiting on more concrete.
“And then all of a sudden (came) just the loudest boom I’d ever heard from that bridge, and then I ran outside and saw it was the concrete truck.”
It was bent and wedged underneath the bridge. Rowley then watched the crew “packing their stuff in their wheelbarrows and walking off.”
Rowley has been keeping The Eagle posted on activity at the bridge for some time, though lately he said it seems to be getting more attention.
Online, people have remarked about how this must be some kind of record for ineptness and that keeping up with it is more fun than staying current with the news.
A few days ago, Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty wrote: “Every time you post one of these pics, I blow it up to make sure it’s not one of my Mattress Hub delivery trucks,” and added a laughing emoji.
Rowley did an interview for this story late last week and then texted a photo at 8:37 a.m. Saturday of another accident that morning.
A couple of friends immediately texted him photos. One of those friends, artist John Ernatt, was in his Commerce Street studio wearing headphones and still heard it.
Rowley captioned the photo when he texted it:
“Another attempt. Bridge remains undefeated.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 4:04 AM.