Interstate Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis

[Wildflower Fever]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079534/?GT1=10252
It's too soon to tell just how many people are affected by this, but I think we could use some good old rudie vibes and/or prayers in this matter. I fear there are many victims they haven't been able to tend to yet.:(

[DaveM]

Quite agree--this is not the sort of thing that happens in Minnesota (I don't know that we've ever had a bridge collapse), and it looks like it's going to be bad. 60 people injured and seven confirmed dead at this point. There are a lot of cars at the bottom of the Mississippi River and the divers have gone home for the night because of darkness. Tomorrow may well be a very long day.

The Rudie Vibes can't hurt, folks....there's people out there tonight who need them. Glad you checked in, Wildflower--you're far closer to the area than I am and I thought of you immediately when the news hit the airwaves.

[Wildflower Fever]

Quite agree--this is not the sort of thing that happens in Minnesota (I don't know that we've ever had a bridge collapse), and it looks like it's going to be bad. 60 people injured and seven confirmed dead at this point. There are a lot of cars at the bottom of the Mississippi River and the divers have gone home for the night because of darkness. Tomorrow may well be a very long day.

The Rudie Vibes can't hurt, folks....there's people out there tonight who need them. Glad you checked in, Wildflower--you're far closer to the area than I am and I thought of you immediately when the news hit the airwaves.

Thanks, DaveM. Yes, I live about a mile from the bridge and drive (drove) across it 3 or 4 times a week. I can't help but wonder if the Pawlenty/Congress duel over transportation bills the last several years had ANYTHING to do with this. After all, I drive the entire state for my job, and the roads have gotten horrible under his tenure. I've also noticed that interstate overpass bridges in less populous areas of MN are in varying states of decay, or at least my poor car does.:(

[DaveM]

That's very true, though I believe things like bridge maintenance have been neglected nationally for some time. A few years back there was a widely publicized study which suggested that as many as one in five bridges in the United States could be in unsafe condition.

We should be thankful most of them stay up, perhaps. Indeed, I wonder at times how long the United States can go on allowing its basic infrastructure to decay, which has been the rule since the Reagan era.

[SongDragon]

I'll add my prayers to this sad mess... Bridges collapsing... Hard to even imagine.

~SongDragon

[Mimi]

How could this happen? They said they had checked the bridge last year and it was ok, didn't they?
I'm sending Rudie Vibes and prayers.

Mimi

[GodSistah]

(((RUDIE VIBES)))


~Andrea~

[RedjackRyan]

Vibes and best wishes heading to those folks.

[Dee]

Prayers for all who are involved in this terrible event.


At least seven people were killed in the dramatic collapse and 60 were taken to hospital.

Emergency workers were resuming the search for victims Thursday morning at dawn but hope had faded that any more survivors would be found.

"It's a search and recovery not a rescue effort, they have changed that connotation," CNN correspondent Rusty Dornini told CTV Newsnet on Thursday.

"They don't believe there are any more survivors in the water."

[Agnes]

Terrible...

I'll add my thoughts and prayers to those already sent :(

[david uk]

this is beyond belief....

thoughts and prayers go out for all invlolved.

[corolla girl]

This is such a tragedy. Prayers for everyone involved......cg.....

[Marcia Drummergal]

How could this happen? They said they had checked the bridge last year and it was ok, didn't they?
I'm sending Rudie Vibes and prayers.

Mimi

Actually from what I have heard, they inspected the bridge the last 2 years and declared it needed work. I guess maybe now they'll be getting around to it....a terrible tragedy indeed. And one that could have been prevented.

Here in Ohio, we have a bridge over the Ohio river that connects us with Kentucky. It is carrying twice the number of vehicles a day that it was designed to. They have been talking for YEARS about replacing it as the lanes are so narrow it is scary, especially when you're driving next to a big rig. If they started building it now, it wouldn't be ready until about 2015. And I forget how many billions they estimated the cost to be!

Marcia :(

[aabram]

Actually from what I have heard, they inspected the bridge the last 2 years and declared it needed work. I guess maybe now they'll be getting around to it....a terrible tragedy indeed. And one that could have been prevented.

Here in Ohio, we have a bridge over the Ohio river that connects us with Kentucky. It is carrying twice the number of vehicles a day that it was designed to. They have been talking for YEARS about replacing it as the lanes are so narrow it is scary, especially when you're driving next to a big rig. If they started building it now, it wouldn't be ready until about 2015. And I forget how many billions they estimated the cost to be!

Marcia :(

Well they had better get to work on that one as well then..... :eek: Rudie Vibes and Prayers to all concerned

lol Annabel

[hoops]

thoughtsw and prayers already on their way
peace
hoops

[Dee]

Actually from what I have heard, they inspected the bridge the last 2 years and declared it needed work. I guess maybe now they'll be getting around to it....

Marcia,

In fact they were working on that when the collapse happened:

Specifically, the collapse raised questions about work being done to patch and resurface the bridge.

"What caused this unbelievable, almost incomprehensible tragedy?" added Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota. "We need to understand that to make sure that this type of tragedy never happens ever again."

The contractor on the project said state engineers were closely supervising the work that included pouring a fresh layer of concrete on the deck.

Mike McGray, owner of Progressive Contracting Co., said he had "no idea" what may have caused the bridge to give way. One of his workers was missing and presumed dead.

from: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/usreport_bridge_collapse_dc

[DaveM]

Our nation's infrastructure has been crumbling for decades in no small part because responsibility for the safety of the roads, the rails, the bridges, the wires, and pipelines is in the hands of people who tend to look the other way, rationalizing: "it'll last until after I'm gone". Well, this time it didn't. And I fear terribly that this sort of tragedy is likely to become more common long before anything constructive is done about it.

The law of gravity is not affected by legislation, and neither metal fatigue nor corrosion are offset by hot air from Washington. But despite the fact that most of our transportation and transmission systems are under Federal control, that seems the only sort of attention likely to be directed toward solving the problem.

We all know where the money is going--a month of war in Iraq could pay for the inspection, repair, and if necessary, replacement of every bridge in the United States. It appears as if a dozen people died in the 35W bridge collapse (that is, assuming none of the eight currently missing turn up). 79 were injured. That's less than an average day's toll in Baghdad alone. Am I the only one who thinks we deserve something more positive for our money?

[Darlene]

posted by DaveM: Am I the only one who thinks we deserve something more positive for our money?

No Dave I agree. The problem is too many Americans are just closing their eyes and hoping that it will go away on it's own.
Peace, Darlene