There are few bridges in London with as much character as the Talbot Street railway bridge.

What makes it so distinct isn't its design or architectural beauty, it's the fact the bridge is quite probably one of the most abused and battered structures in the city.

Despite warning signs and fluorescent markers, the Talbot Street railway bridge is a place where trucks get struck underneath time and again, often causing long delays for other drivers as recovery crews are called in to retrieve the vehicles that have become wedged underneath.

Quick facts on the Talbot Street rail bridge: Built in 1931

Owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway

Has a clearance of 3.3 metres (10 feet)

Has its own social media account

The bridge is so notorious, it's spawned a social media account that relishes in crowing about its latest "visitor."

In the last 18 months however, those visitors seem to be fewer and fewer, according to new numbers released by the City of London that suggest fewer trucks are getting stuck under the Talbot Street bridge's narrow opening.

'Sacrificial beams'

City of London transportation manager Doug MacRae seen here with the Blackfriars Bridge shortly after it was reinstalled in the summer of 2018.

"Previously, on average, about five trucks a year would hit the bridge," said City of London Transportation Manager Doug MacRae. "It's a road safety concern, so we took it seriously."

They do the dirty work. - Doug MacRae , City of London Transportation Manager

In 2017 the city installed large poles on either side of the bridge and fitted each one with a steel arm.

The arms are the same height as the bridge, so if a truck that's too tall passes beneath them, MacRae said it quickly becomes apparent to the driver.

"If a truck hits those, they'll hear the whack on their truck and it will be very minimal damage because it's a structure that's intended to give way," he said. "It's an audible warning to let the driver know."

MacRae said in year and a half since the arms were installed, only two trucks have become wedged under the bridge, compared to five a year on average.

"They do the dirty work," he said. "They've been hit quite frequently, but the good news is the bridge has been hit far less."

If that doesn't work, MacRae said the bridge does have an insurance policy for anyone brazen enough to ignore the warnings, what he describes as "sacrificial beams."

Two large multi-tonne pieces of steel wrapped in fluorescent warning stripes run parallel to the bridge to protect it from damage.

Cheaper than the alternatives

A truck found itself wedged below the Talbot Street rail bridge last month, an occurrence that's becoming less and less common. (Warren Darling)

The arms cost the city $16,000, which as far as traffic solutions go is pretty cheap. MacRae said one of the other options is lowering the road, which would only create a host of other problems.

"It's not that simple," he said. "It would undermine the foundations of that existing bridge, so it would probably trigger a total replacement."

MacRae said there are also large sewer lines that run under Talbot Street and lowering the road at the rail bridge would require replacing them at significant cost.

Raising the bridge would also present a big price tag since the existing track is already at grade with the far larger Oxford Street rail bridge nearby.

The Talbot Street rail bridge was built in 1931 and aside from all the warning signs that have been added to it over the years, it hasn't changed much in terms of its size.

MacRae said the Talbot Street bridge serves as an important example as the city gets set to add one more rail bridge on Adelaide Street at the Canadian Pacific tracks near McMahen Park.

"It's taught me that infrastructure has long life spans and it's important to build them properly with a vision to the future, so the vertical clearance is an obvious one," he said.