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Georgia DOT Announces New Bridge Strike Awareness Campaign: 'Check Your Height, Know It's Right'
Launched in partnership with member states of The Eastern Transportation Coalition (TETC), the campaign runs from July 22 - 26, 2025
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) announces a new public awareness campaign designed to create greater awareness about bridge strikes and how motorists can prevent them. The "Check Your Height, Know It's Right" campaign encourages drivers to check their vehicle height to ensure it will travel safely under bridges that extend over state and local roadways. These overhead collisions are commonly known as "bridge strikes."
Crash data validates the need to raise operational awareness among motorists about the height of their vehicles and the related restrictions. There have been a total of 16 reported bridge strikes from 2015 to 2025 in Georgia. Most recently, in July 2024, an excavator struck the Chatham Parkway bridge overpass on I-16, resulting in severe travel delays and closures while it was being repaired. Additionally, the bridge strike and its repairs led to a delay of a planned project to raise the Chatham Parkway overpass, initially planned for summer 2024. The Chatham Parkway overpass reopened Friday, July 18, 2025. In July 2021, a truck struck the State Route (SR) 86 overpass while driving on I-16 in Treutlen County, shifting the bridge six feet as a result of the collision and causing the overpass to be demolished and replaced by Georgia DOT. The SR 86 overpass reopened to traffic in July 2022, at an approximate cost of $3.6 million.
"Considering the significant costs associated with damage to the state's transportation infrastructure, the disruption to traffic, and the safety risks to the public, first responders and our employees, bridge strikes are a major concern for the department," said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry, P.E. "These types of crashes are avoidable, and this public awareness campaign is part of our ongoing effort to educate all motorists on best practices for safe driving."
The "Check Your Height, Know It's Right" campaign urges motorists to know the height of their vehicle and to comply with posted bridge heights, targeting all classes of drivers (CDL and passenger class drivers) operating commercial trucks or leased trucks (delivery and moving box-type), and recreational vehicles. Motorists are responsible for knowing the height of their vehicle and should always watch for and adhere to signage indicating bridge heights. They should not rely on navigation devices or wayfinding apps because bridge heights are not displayed on them.
Georgia DOT, along with other state agencies, is adopting the "Check Your Height, Know It's Right" campaign with the support of The Eastern Transportation Coalition- a partnership of 19 states and the District of Columbia focused on connecting public agencies across modes of travel to increase safety and efficiency.
Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia's state and federal highways. We're involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability and mobility. The Department's vision is to boost Georgia's competitiveness through leadership in transportation.
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