What is your favorite Bankhead Tunnel saying in Mobile?
The Bankhead Tunnel is reopened after it was closed for most of the week while work crews made upgrades to the 82-year-old structure’s electrical work.
It reopened one day earlier than officials anticipated.
So is it time to crank up those humorous signs again?
Indeed, the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Southwest Region has kept motorists alert for the past year by posting colorful sayings on the digital sign at the entrance to the Bankhead Tunnel in downtown Mobile.
Related content: Why big rigs keep getting stuck in the Bankhead Tunnel
The aim has to been to alert motorist, particularly those traveling in large trucks, to avoid the tunnel with it’s 12-foot clearance. A typical semi-truck is a little more than 13 feet tall.
The Bankhead Tunnel has been the site of some dramatic images such as big rigs sheered in half, or moving trucks jammed into the tunnel’s concrete entrance.
Damage continues to happen to trucks despite the warnings leading up to the Bankhead Tunnel. For instance, there are two spots with large letters painted on Government Street that scream, “No Trucks.” Metal chains and an alarm system are also part of the process warning drivers of a truck exceeding the tunnel’s clearance, and to avoid driving through it.
ALDOT has reverted to the sayings to get more attention, and warn the truck drivers. The sayings are sometimes crafted around a certain holiday. For instance, during the Christmas season, Clark Griswold from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” inspired the following saying, “12 Feet! We are Serious Clark.”
Mardi Gras season? The digital sign read, “More Throws Less Tows.”
Thanksgiving season inspired, “Stuff a Turkey, Not a Bankhead.”
And so on.
After approximately one year of witnessing the sayings, AL.com is curious as to which one is your favorite. Feel free to vote, and the winner will be announced online next week.