‘The beast has been feeding’: Nebraska’s famed ‘Ripper’ bridge claims the roofs of big box trucks

By Hannah McIlree

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    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Nebraska (KMTV) — There is a bridge in Council Bluffs known for eating trucks, resident call the Ripper, it’s on Big Lake Road near the sheriff’s office. Not only does it have a name, it has acult following.

“He knows to turn, though!” said Jeremy Theilen about a dump truck turning to avoid the bridge.

Thielen grew up just around the corner from the bridge, and he loves it.

“It’s been fun. This has been fun,” Theilen said.

He loves it so much, he’s dedicated a Facebook page to it called: The Council Bluffs Ripper “The Beast Must Be Fed”

“I always saw trucks, even back then, getting hit back in the ’70s and ’80s” Theilen said.

The Council Bluffs Police Department tells me that since 2020, 40 vehicles have gotten stuck under or crashed into this bridge.

“We call it feedings, and so the beast has been feeding lately,” said Theilen about the two crashes that happened in May.

The amount of crashes is a mesmerizing fact to Thielen, who says the ample signs surrounding the bridge should be warning enough.

“Oddly enough, they just put new signage up that’s bigger and more flashy. I don’t know. So as soon as they put that new signage up, we had two or three in a row,” Theilen said.

This was the Ripper’s most recent victim: a dump truck came barreling toward the bridge on May 28.

Arrow Towing has been pulling stuck vehicles from under this bridge since 2004. Owner Brad Arrowsmith tells me the Ripper has a taste for all kinds of vehicles.

“Box trucks, moving trucks to assisted living, nursing home shuttle vans. We’ve done live animals, horse trailers. Just last week, there was a four-axle dump truck that tried to take on the Ripper,” Arrowsmith said.

And the big trucks, like the dump truck, require even bigger tow trucks.

“The dump truck last week, we didn’t know how much weight it had in it, so we sent the 60-ton truck, which is equal, but we sent that not knowing the weight and the resistance. This is capable of anything,” Arrowsmith said.

Many vehicles become wedged under the bridge, Arrowsmith said over the years, his drivers have found creative ways to dislodge vehicles.

“It’s kind of a craft. We winch it out, and then we put it back together or what’s left. Sometimes, it takes several pieces of equipment to transport it back to the customer’s destination,” Arrowsmith said.

The police department told me drivers should always be vigilant and know the height of their vehicle.

The city of Council Bluffs has also made an effort to alert drivers by adding flashing signs in hopes of heightening awareness.

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