Explain xkcd: 3174 – Bridge Clearance (Comic Explanation)
This is an explain xkcd wiki page dedicated to explaining the xkcd comic "3174: Bridge Clearance." The article discusses how roads under bridges have clearance signs for tall vehicles, and the comic's title text humorously suggests that highway departments must adjust the sign whenever the moon passes overhead (since the moon's gravitational pull affects tides, and by extension, bridge clearance measurements). The wiki page provides detailed explanations of the comic's references, including bridge clearance signage, lunar tidal effects, and the joke's scientific inaccuracies.
Key quotes
A lot of the highway department's budget goes to adjusting the sign whenever the moon passes directly overhead.
Roads passing under bridges (or other overhead structures) often have signs indicating the 'clearance' or lowest height of the bridge above the road.
In extreme cases warnings usually start with signs advising which routes t
From the article
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