SMYRNA, Ga. — A historic covered bridge on Concord Road in Smyrna has been hit and shut down many times.
Most recently, it was hit on Thursday.
Channel 2’s Lori Wilson was in Smyrna, talking to neighbors who are blaming technology for the constant collisions.
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“Out here at least twice a week, helping people turn around,” Bob Burns, a neighbor, said.
Bob and his wife Pat Burns have lived next to the historic covered bridge on Concord Road in Smyrna for decades.
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Every time the bridge is shut down, because a truck was too tall or too wide has run into it, they know about it.
“I feel bad for the person,” Pat Burns told Channel 2 Action News. “I’m not as tolerant with the drivers as Bob is.”
Ross Cavitt, the communications director for the Cobb County government, said there are plenty of warnings in place to keep drivers from hitting the covered bridge.
“We have signs that flash and we have hanging bars that hit your vehicle,” Cavitt said. “They still hit the beams that protect the bridge.”
Cavitt said the county has put a lot of energy into protecting the historic covered bridge, drivers and people like the Burns who live in and travel the area.
“99.9% of the incidents that happen down there are people who are from out of town, have a delivery truck,” Cavitt said.
“I know immediately that someone’s following their GPS,” Pat Burns said. “I know immediately that they just don’t pay attention to the signs.”
Cavitt said the real problem is technology, because people are listening to their apps instead of trusting street signs warning them about the bridge.
“Our big challenge has been to work with the GPS companies to put some sort of advisory on their app, we’ve been moderately successful with Waze,” Cavitt said.
The covered bridge is just seven feet tall. Cavitt said the county is working to get a low clearance designation on mapping aps, but it takes time.
If you do hit the bridge, repairs for it are billed to your automotive insurance.
“They get fined for the repairs, they get fined for every sign that they miss, it is not cheap to hit the bridge,” Pat Burns said.
“I used to feel angry but I don’t feel angry,” Bob Burns said. “I just feel said and sort of frustrated.”
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