PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — High school students in Pennsylvania are being invited to submit ideas on how to keep trucks and large vehicles from striking bridges.
When Pennsylvania's low-clearance bridges were built decades ago, commercial trucks were smaller. But today's larger vehicles often ram into those bridges. PennDOT's Zachary Appleby says vehicles rammed low-clearance bridges 600 times between 2013 and 2023, causing detours, repairs and disruption.
In this year's 10th annual Innovations Challenge, PennDOT is encouraging high school students to propose their own creative solutions to keep trucks from running into bridges.
Teams from any Pennsylvania high school can enter. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 29, 2027.
Appleby says the proposals must include a new concept that hasn't been used in Pennsylvania or other states.
"Everybody's approaching these problems very differently. And a fresh set of eyes is incredibly helpful."
Conestoga High School was last year's winner. They proposed an AI strategy to improve work zone safety.
