Truck carrying aircraft gets stuck under Goa bridge: Causes massive traffic jam on highway [Video]

We have all witnessed the awe-inspiring sight of trucks transporting aircraft and windmill components, marveling at how such enormous items are transported on the roads. However, the process of transporting these components on trucks is just as challenging as it appears, as demonstrated by a recent incident in Goa. A few days ago, a trailer truck carrying aircraft components became wedged under a railway bridge on the Margao-Karwar highway, resulting in a significant traffic jam for other motorists.

The incident occurred on the Margao-Canacona route of the highway in Goa when the driver of the trailer truck misjudged the clearance between the upper part of the truck and the lower part of the bridge. According to initial investigations by the local police, the driver failed to navigate the trailer truck correctly and misjudged a curve beneath the railway bridge.

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As a result of this misjudgment, the truck, which was transporting components of a fighter jet, became stuck under the bridge. The aircraft components scraped against the lower surface of the bridge, preventing the truck from moving forward.

The incident, which took place in the early morning hours of May 19th, resulted in a three-hour closure of traffic. The truck, traveling from Vasco (Goa) to Nipani (Karnataka), was stuck in the Margao-Canacona lane of the highway, while the opposite direction of the lane remained largely unaffected. After a three-hour struggle, the lane was finally cleared for other motorists.

Many blamed the truck driver

Visuals of the incident quickly spread across social media platforms, prompting numerous individuals to express their opinions. Many blamed the trailer truck driver and questioned his experience and competence in handling such large components. Some even raised concerns about the infrastructure and the performance of government and police departments in managing the highway.

While the traffic congestion was eventually resolved after three hours, it remains unclear whether the trailer truck driver or owner faced any penalties. The extent of any potential damages to the aircraft components, which appear to belong to the Indian Air Force, is also unknown.

Transporting such large components, which are massive in size, presents unique challenges. Adequate-sized trailer trucks and skilled drivers trained in maneuvering such large vehicles are essential for successful transportation from one location to another.

Oversized cargos move around all the time

A remarkable incident from 2020 involved a Volvo FM 12 truck that took an entire year to transport an oversized payload across India during the pandemic.

The journey commenced in July 2019, with the Volvo FM12 Puller setting off from Nashik, Maharashtra, en route to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Kerala. The cargo being transported was a horizontal autoclave, which due to its weight and size, restricted the truck’s average daily progress to about 5 km.

As a result, covering a distance of 1,700 km required a staggering 340 days or nearly a year! The vehicle faced additional challenges when it became stranded for over two months due to the nationwide lockdown implemented in India to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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