A railroad trestle in Marysville, California, has earned the nickname “Can Opener” by peeling open semi-trailers that cannot fit beneath it. Drivers keep trying to squeeze through, leaving damaged trucks and interrupted traffic behind.
The crossing at 17th and B streets has a posted clearance of 13 feet, 10 inches, FOX40 reported. Its report describes another collision that left a trailer mangled beneath the railroad structure.
The proposed fix involves digging down. Caltrans’ Binney Junction project includes lowering the roadway to help prevent truck strikes, as well as replacing two railroad underpasses.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2027, with completion in 2029. The estimated $178.6 million budget, funded with federal and state money, covers a broader stretch of State Route 70 between 14th Street and Cemetery Road.
A Tight Squeeze
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A nearby motorsports business manager estimated in the FOX40 report that trucks hit the trestle two or three times a month. One recent impact “shook the whole building,” he said.
Caltrans spokesperson Megan Reese gave the station a different measure of the recurring problem: maintenance crews had responded 16 times since 2024. That figure counts maintenance responses rather than the total number of collisions.
Warning signs already alert approaching drivers to the low clearance. Reese urged truckers to use commercial GPS equipment that accounts for their vehicles when choosing a route. The station reported that some trucks can reach 14 feet in height, exceeding the posted clearance at the crossing.
Reese also explained to FOX40 that the planned roadway lowering would provide 17½ feet of clearance.
More Room Ahead
The highway work extends beyond making room above trailers. Plans call for five lanes, including two-way left-turn lanes, with 8-foot shoulders. Both the Marysville Railroad Underpass and Binney Junction Railroad Underpass are slated for replacement.
Walking and cycling improvements include 6-foot sidewalks, 5-foot bicycle lanes, and updated curb ramps meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Caltrans identifies safer routes for students attending two high schools along the highway as another project benefit.
The work also includes relocating the east finger levee farther east to accommodate the roadway improvements.