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A railroad bridge over West Peace Street is technically slightly higher than its posted clearance of 12 feet and 4 inches, according to the city of Raleigh.
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That hasn’t stopped five vehicles from scraping or wrecking into the “Peace Street Peeler” over the past two months, including two semi-trucks on a single day in July.
The recent bridge strikes are not a new occurrence. The bridge — running north-south over Peace Street between Glenwood Avenue and West Street — is over 70 years old. Crashes have been happening since the 1960s, according to The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner ABC11.
Now, the city is taking some additional measures to warn drivers about the bridge.
The posted height on signs is already reduced to account for a hill on Peace Street on the eastern side of the bridge. The hill isn’t directly under the bridge, but it does force longer trucks to ride higher as they pass under it.
Raleigh can’t raise the bridge because the railways own the right-of-way, according to the city.
The city considered height detection sensors to give trucks a more direct warning, but that option was ruled out “due to poor performance and low efficacy in other municipalities,” according to the city manager’s report.
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Now, the city is trying to overhaul its signage to improve visibility and redirect taller vehicles.
While there are already flashing yellow lights before the bridge, Raleigh plans to install new “high-visibility” signs with LED lights that are significantly brighter than existing lights. It will take some time for the new signs to get here, however.
Meanwhile, the city is replacing older signs and flashing lights with newer standard models.
And the city is putting new warning signs at the intersection of West and Peace — to the west of the bridge — and on southbound Glenwood Avenue.
The city will also install new detour signs to help trucks safely avoid the bridge.
The city didn’t immediately answer questions Monday about the cost of the new signage or the specifics of the plan.
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This story was originally published August 31, 2026 at 3:13 PM.