Bridges. How safe are yours...

Wow. I found out after the tragedy in Minn. that a bridge I used to drive on every day is not in good shape according to MSNBC. In fact, It got a 4.5 rating out of 100! WTF? Not driving on that any more, may take me a little more time to get to work.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20099075#OUACHITA

Have a good one!

Econfused

 

You know, I want on a trip yesterday and crossed a bridge that is close to 100" high and didn't even think about it, until we re-crossed it and was on the other side when I thought about it.
The bridges that they have been comparing to the Minnisota bridge, all failed for reasons other than just collapsing. One collapsed after a truck exploded on it, another after a barge hit it, and another was the famous "Galloping Gertie" that collapsed due to poor engineering design that failed in high winds.
The news sensationalizes anything that will get people to watch. There are lots of bridges that need work and don't collapse. I think when things finally get sorted out, that it will probably be something more than "the bridge fell down."
Just my opinion.

 

Good point musksnipe. But a 4.5 out of 100? And this is a draw bridge in my town, so less stable in my personal opinion.

I will drive across it during low traffic times, but not when it is packed. Am I overreacting, well, perhaps I am. But there is another bridge just a few blocks away that did not make the 'bad' list.

Heck, with the way politics are around here, who knows who bribed who to get it up to a 4.5 rating... The whole bridge shakes when heavy trucks drive over it.

E

 

Politics may have had a hand in the rating. But who created the rating system? What is it based on? rolleyes
On the other hand, shaky bridges ARE scarey, but I think they are designed with some give in mind to keep them from collapsing when they are stressed. There are a lot that do need repair, too. Same with over passes. Maybe, this accident will get our government off their shiny behinds and get those needed repairs done.
And it doesn't hurt to be cautious. If it was a matter of a couple of blocks, yeah, I would detour. Unfortunately, if I go 15 miles south, which I do alot, I have to cross an old drawbridge, too. But it's either cross there or go 60 miles out of the way, 30 up river and 30 back down. Can't let news induced fear cause that big of a change in my life style.
Myself, I'm betting that something CAUSED that bridge collapse, other than just falling down under normal traffic.

 

My feeling is you're a lot more likely to be killed by a meteroite than a bridge failure. Both happen, but not very often.

I was on a school buss when a wooden bridge failed under it, all that happened was the rear wheels dropped into the hole. The kids, myself being one of them, loved it of course, and the county had a new one within a day.

There are enough things to worry about, this one I'll let the professionals handle.

 

I think it's like earthquakes. The earth is not supposed to move beneath your feet (well, unless you're in love). So it's disconcerting when it does. It's like nature refusing to obey it's own rules.

When I heard the discussions on this bridge, I couldn't help thinking about the very tragic ICE train wreck here some years back. The cause for it turned out to be tiny cracks in the interior of the wheels that could only be detected by ... x-ray? microwave? One of those. They ended up having to go over all the wheels of all the trains to find any defective wheels.

abri

 

Yeah, not too likely it will fall down any day now, but as far as I know, there are not even any plans to do any work on it in the near future. There is another bridge about half a mile or less away... I think I will drive a little extra.

I don't want to start any political stuff here, but you would have to spend some time here just to believe how corrupt the local and state politicians are. And I am not a bridge inspector (scared of heights...) so I do not know what the rating system consists of. But I would not be shocked if some money went under the table to get the rating up to 4.5.

Hope you had a good weekend!:cool

E

 

I won't stop under one at a red light. Dan was a road and bridge worker (pile driver) before he had to retire, he doesn't stop under the either.