If an old bridge firmly stipulates a weight limit, you’d be wise to respect it. The driver of this bus thought otherwise.
The Beaver Bridge in Arkansas has a 10 ton weight limit, has a lane made out of wood, and was constructed in 1949. Not even those points discouraged the driver of a huge bus, reportedly weighing 35 ton, from making the decision to cross the bridge a few days ago.
A frightening video uploaded online shows the suspension bridge start to sag the moment the bus starts to cross over. Things then get particularly sketchy as the bus reaches the halfway point of the bridge, causing a huge bend to form that looks like enough to split the bridge in two.
Other vehicles lining up to cross the bridge can be heard beeping to the bus driver as they cross, perhaps in an attempt at warning the driver just how precarious the crossing over Table Rock Lake was.
What’s particularly worrying about the crossing is that the bus driver wasn’t just risking their life but also the lives of passengers.
A spokesperson from the Arkansas Department of Transportation says that local highway police are meant to enforce the bridge’s weight limit, Mashable reports.
In response to the bus’s crossing, authorities have temporarily shut down the bridge for a safety inspection.
“The bridge has required temporary closures since early October due to scheduled routine maintenance. ARDOT engineers decided to take a closer look at the bridge after receiving results of a special bridge inspection. Until the review is complete, the bridge will remain closed,” the Arkansas Department of Inspection said.