Concrete truck strikes Onondaga Lake Parkway Bridge, closing traffic in Salina

Liverpool-bound drivers were stopped cold Sunday morning when a concrete truck struck the low Onondaga Lake Parkway railroad bridge in Salina, forcing traffic closures and another emergency response on a busy weekend travel day.

The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened around 8:30 a.m. on May 24, and traffic heading toward Liverpool was closed by about 9:30 a.m. as deputies and crews moved in. A camera crew from CNY Central reported the truck appeared wedged beneath the bridge, with one wheel off the ground, a visual reminder of how little margin there is under the railroad span.

Authorities later said the driver was issued 10 citations for failing to obey traffic control devices. Those tickets were tied to the warning signs and pavement markings that line the approach to the bridge, a corridor where drivers are repeatedly warned they are entering a low-clearance zone.

The strike hit a bridge that has become one of Onondaga County’s most familiar traffic hazards. A box truck struck the same bridge last month, and the latest crash again disrupted commuters, nearby residents and businesses along the Liverpool-Salina corridor. It also renewed concern about how long it takes to clear the scene when a large vehicle gets trapped beneath the structure.

The Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge has a long history of serious collisions, including the fatal Megabus crash on Sept. 11, 2010, that killed four people. Since then, state and local agencies have continued to adjust traffic patterns and warning devices, but the problem has not gone away.

Exit 24A from I-81 to the parkway has been closed since summer 2023 because of bridge-strike concerns, and the New York State Department of Transportation has said the closure, along with a reduced speed limit and more signage, helped reduce illegal truck entry and some strikes. Still, Syracuse-area coverage has noted that trucks have struck the bridge 50 times since 2012, including 34 crashes since 2022.

New sensor-triggered flashing signs were activated near the bridge on Feb. 12, 2026, at a reported cost of $700,000, after officials said more than 50 signs and other warning devices still had not stopped repeated crashes. Sunday’s concrete truck strike showed that, despite the added warnings and the long-running restrictions, drivers are still getting caught by the same height limit on one of the region’s most notorious trouble spots.