How safe are bridges in your neck of the woods?

[8IronBob]

As all of you may know, if you've been watching the news, just recently, in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, we saw what could have been the most disastrous bridge collapse in the country's history. Having said that, there were many advisories set out for bridge safety throughout the country set out... That leads to mind the question, how safe are the bridges in your neighborhood? Do you feel safe driving across from one side of a chasm to another? For those of you who don't know what happened, here you are:

http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3964622&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Seems like something like this is a lesson when it comes to safety when not on solid ground, but still on the road.

[alexgk]

Hope no one here has relatives involved in the accident.

[Dave-ros]

I wonder if that was worse than the long length of overpass that collapsed during the 1993 Los Angeles quake :(

There's literally about 20 bridges over the Thames in London... fortunately I seldom need to cross the river :o

[Jeff]

The only bridge collapse that I know of was because of some construction error or something. It was about 3 kms from my old old place where I used to live about 5 years ago. Other then that, never in my life have I seen a bridge collapse.

[DavoX]

I thought it was like 200 dead until i read the newsletter.

[peoplessi]

And it has been now that the bridge had some problems since the 1990 :l So they said in the news, but somehow the bridge has passed the checks since.

[ShadeEX]

Well if a bridge thats recently been security checked can collapse. Then I think no bridges are safe..

[thefly]

That view seems to be a bit extreme.

[Sang]

Bridges are pretty safe around here.. I guess. I mean, they haven't collapsed yet or anything.

[ShadeEX]

That view seems to be a bit extreme.

Well yeah..

But when you think about it, there's always a risk that it might collapse when your on a bridge.. So realistically speaking bridges aren't 100% safe..

[Dave-ros]

Realistically, nothing is 100% safe -- but the risk is minimised by proper maintenance, which may not have been happening in Minneapolis. Much like the Hatfield rail crash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield_rail_crash) in 2000, it looks like no-one heeded the warnings, and people died as a result :(

[Nessus]

One of the first things I thought of when I heard there was a jackhammer in use is the mythbusters episode where a small vibrating 5 pound weight was able to shake a bridge enough that it could be felt hundreds of feet away. A Jackhammer weighs about 75 pounds and that was one of the longest continuous steel beams in the country, there was no main support in the middle like on the bridge next to it. Could have been the last straw in causing the failure.

Mythbusters forum had a thread going. http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9701967776/m/7021965219

[8IronBob]

Well, the only other bridge collapse that would have been nearly as significant as this would have to be, oh, almost 100 years ago, IIRC. Wasn't this the one in Seattle or something? That's almost what I'd consider something that really became tragic, but that was a suspension bridge knocked over by real heavy winds, IIRC. This was just a matter of a weight collapse from a stream of cars on the I-35W bridge all at once, just stresses out a bridge if you do that.

[Hudson]

While this is definitely a tragedy for those who perished in the accident, I think once again the media is blowing things out of proportion and causing an unneeded panic (as always). Wait until Brittany Spears or some NFL/MLB guy gets arrested again, it won't be a concern anymore ;)

[Commando Nukem]

While this is definitely a tragedy for those who perished in the accident, I think once again the media is blowing things out of proportion and causing an unneeded panic (as always). Wait until Brittany Spears or some NFL/MLB guy gets arrested again, it won't be a concern anymore ;)

For once I agree.


The only bridge around here that gets a second glance from me is the Alaskin Viaduct. They're playing penny pincher with it, and its going to eventually give in... I wish they would stop playing POLITICS and just do their damn jobs.

[ShadeEX]

Well there's already more news on Paris Hilton..

The news is NSFW so no im not posting it, besides who here really cares much about her headlines..

so yeah the tragedy will pass..

[hell-angel]

Well, considereing that I am in tel aviv at the moment I have no idea how save they are. I don't know how wel the israeli take care of there roads. Considering how bad they drive I doubt it ;) (sorry assault, but you guys drive like sh*t :( )

As for the netherlands (my home country) I feel pretty save. But then again, I am sure the people in Minnesota felt the same, it was a wakeup call to the world I guess.