Andover Finally Has A New Fire Truck That Fits Under The Bridge

ANDOVER, MA — More than six months after it arrived in town and proved too tall for the Horn Bridge, Andover's new fire truck is back, Town Manager Andrew Flanagan confirmed Monday. The modified truck fits under the bridge, he added. The truck, which cost over $1 million, was modified by the manufacturer at no cost to the town.

When the truck proved too tall on arrival, in July, Flanagan and Fire Chief Michael Mansfield issued a statement Monday saying Pierce Manufacturing had not built the ladder truck to the exact specifications provided by the town. Town officials expected the new truck to be ready to put into service in September.

Horn Bridge runs over Central Street at the intersection of Andover Street and Red Spring Road. The bridge is a notorious rush-hour traffic bottleneck that's occasionally made worse when a truck gets stuck under it, and sits at a key access point dividing the east and west sides of the town. The ladder truck was about 5 inches too tall to clear the bridge, which has a clearance of 11 feet, 6 inches.

The problem with the truck was a flashpoint between the firefighters union and Mansfield. In a statement of no confidence the union issued in November, it was one of the issues cited. Just last week, the union put out a joking "Be On The Lookout" alert for the truck on social media. In a Facebook post Monday evening, the union said they had yet to see the truck.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.