Bridges

Here's the Star Tribune coverage of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, where at least four people were killed, 79 were injured, and 20 remain missing.

Dr. John Hick, who was one of the first responders to the bridge collapse, said "It's somewhat of a miracle that (the number of injuries and fatalities) was that low."

Hick also praised work done by passersby and people in area who jumped in to assist police and paramedics with evacuating the injured.

I look forward to learning more about these "passersby" who did not pass by.

Minnesota officials have said they believe the collapse was the result of "structural failure":

State officials were answering questions about how and whether inspectors dealt with studies that said the bridge had "fatigue cracks" and was "structurally deficient."

Here's more from the Strib on that "structurally deficient" rating.

The National Bridge Inventory counted 67,587 of America's 481,791 bridges as "structurally deficient" in 2006. (Here's a searchable version of the NBI database.)

That rating doesn't mean that a bridge is considered in danger of this kind of collapse, but with more than 67,000 deficient bridges nationwide, such a tragedy is not a surprise to anyone who's been looking at the state of our national infrastructure.

The NBI survey was big news at the paper I work for, in Delaware, where "only" 35 bridges received the structurally deficient rating. The reaction there seemed to be that this meant the state should probably fix those 35 bridges. That meant figuring out how to pay for these repairs -- something they're still wrangling over in Dover. Similar wrangling is going on in Pennsylvania, where I live, where some 5,582 bridges are structurally deficient. (If you're wondering about your home state, here's the 2006 data.)

In Minnesota, where yesterday's tragedy occurred, 1,135 bridges were found to be structurally deficient in last year's inventory -- including the I-35W bridge, where repairs were underway when yesterday's collapse occurred.

Rick Perlstein provides some of the history of Minnesota's transportation infrastructure:

This year two Democratic Minnesotan legislatures passed a $4.18 billion transportation package. Minnesota's Republican governor vetoed it because he had taken a no-new-taxes pledge, Grover Norquist-style.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's tax pledge, like all such pledges, was doomed to produce some short-sighted decisions because it prohibits consideration of a whole range of questions it ought to be Pawlenty's job to ask. When it comes to taxes, Pawlenty has pledged only to consider the question "How much?" That's a legitimate question and an important one. It is his job to ask that question. But it is also his job to ask, "What for?." A governor -- or a legislator, or a president -- who refuses to consider both questions is refusing to do the job.

Crooks & Liars notes that the wingers seem to be hoping that yesterday's bridge collapse will turn out to have been an act of terrorism rather than the structural failure that officials on the scene are reporting. We have one bridge in the water. Maybe, to the wingers, the prospect of terrorism is less disturbing than the thought that we have another 67,586 structurally deficient bridges that Americans drive across every day. Those bridges will need to be fixed and those repairs will, in fact, cost money.

Comments

[Ryan]

Just some hunger pangs from 'Starving the Beast'.

[Susan]

And of course we should remember that while Minnesota managed to find plenty of money for a new (unneeded) stadium for the Twins, raising taxes to fix infrastructure was a no-no.

Let's see if that changes. I personally won't be holding my breath...

[Maggie]

Pawlenty actually cut our DOT budget over the past 5 years. By a lot.

Which is why it shouldn't surprise you to know that the construction going on on the bridge didn't have anything to do with the structural failures...it was purely a resurfacing gig. Fixing structural failures would have cost money we don't have.

[cjmr]

Hmmm, I wonder if I can get home from Boston without driving over any of those structurally deficient bridges...

[PurpleGirl]

Of course the wingers hope the collapse was the result of terrorism -- that would be mean they aren't wrong when they cut road/bridge maintenance and repair budgets and any of the other things government does (or should do).

Wonder where the next one will fail?

[cjmr]

There have been two bridge collapses (that I know of) this week. The other one was minor and only involved two injuries.

[Jeff]

There have been two bridge collapses (that I know of) this week. The other one was minor and only involved two injuries.

According to a report on NPR this morning, one bridge per week collapses. That seems pretty high to me, unless that includes "controlled collapses" (like controlled burns).

[cjmr]

It probably includes collapses like one-lane bridges on gravel roads, the underpinnings of which have eroded away.

[Nicole J. LeBoeuf-Little]

Where, O where, is Scott? Shouldn't he be lecturing us by now on the evils of gov't taxation, and specifically lecturing Fred on how high-and-mighty he is for decrying the tax cuts? Shouldn't Scott be going on sarcastically about "stealing money is fine as long as it gets used in ways approved by Fred Clark, Evangelist Blogger" or something?

Or do the deaths caused by this particular Starving of the Beast push this even beyond his ability to stay on memo?

...wait, what's this? An invitation to play the role of ScotBot next time the show hits the stage? Oh, no no no no no no no. I couldn't. I hear it tarnishes the soul.

[Jeff]

Nicole, there's an ineresting debate on Obsidian Wings on whether bridges would be better maintained by public or private entities. As is typical with Obsidian Wings, there's fairly good arguments (and, per posting rules, no flaming) on both sides.

Definitely worth a read.

[Drak Pope]

Or do the deaths caused by this particular Starving of the Beast push this even beyond his ability to stay on memo?

No.

I had a thought just now; if we didn't respond to his posts, maybe he would be forced to put more substance into them. The way it is now is just tiresome. His posts are largely interchangeable -- if he forgets to respond to one of the blog entries it would be really easy to take one of his previous responses, snip out the quotes, and drop it in here. In fact, if I wasn't so fat and stupid I'd do it myself.

[abanterer]

I propose that Grover Norquist and every other person who enforces, backs and otherwise supports the No Taxes initiative, be responsible to pay for the collapsing infrastructure.

Norquist and his sort are nothing short of a Biblical plague, the one God sent to Pharoah after the Jews fled, to finish off the Egyptians for good.

[Steve]

"http://www.nationalbridges.com/" seems to be dead or on life-support.

[Brandi]

Actually, I wonder where Scott lives. 'T would be a cosmic irony if he saw the bridge fall-- or was on it.

[cjmr]

IIRC, Scott's in VA somewhere. Hey, bulbul! 85%Duane! Where's the notebook gotten to?

[Mary Ann]

Last night I remembered news stories in the 1980s about how, under that glorious president, Ronald Reagan, highway and bridge infrastructure was being squandered to oxyidization instead of conserved. So I looked online to see if I could find a link or reference to such a story in that period. All I found was paeans to the passage of an infrastructure maintenance bill under the Reagan administration. Magic....

I should point out that the second collapse mentioned (near Oroville, CA) was not a bridge being used, it was a new bridge under construction. They had just finished extending the scaffolding across the in-use highway the night before. Nasty, but not quite as bad as the MN collapse, and very much more in the category of "construction error". In some ways, better that bridge failed when it did than after the road had been completed...

-kat

[Raka]

Passersby pitching in is a very, very Minnesotan thing to do. I saw an interview with a guy who had climbed out of his truck after it hit the water-- he basically shrugged and said "Could've been worse." I love my pathologically stoic state.

Once again, the Onion predicts the future: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30916

[Craig]

I just noticed this article (linked from an newsletter I get from Worldview Weekend - which you should really subscribe to, as it's frequently hilarious) in my inbox:

http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/2363/John_Piper

It really doesn't take long for the religious right to start attributing things to God's wrath, does it?

Some excepts:

"The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper [the author] is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life for ever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind's attention and my heart's affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God's message in the collapse of this bridge."

(while discussing the incident with his daughter) "Talitha said, 'Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.' 'Yes, Talitha,' I said, 'I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.'"

Still, I have to credit the guy credit for explicitly including himself in his "God hits you because you deserve it" spiel. You don't see that too often these days.

[MichaelR]

That's one of the things that bothers me extensively about that flavor of Christianity: their god is a gigantic douchebag. Why would I want to follow some vindictive jerkoff with an inferiority complex and a penchant for smiting people the wrong people?

[Drak Pope]

Why would I want to follow some vindictive jerkoff with an inferiority complex and a penchant for smiting people the wrong people?

Millions of corporate and government workers ask themselves that same question every single day.

[hapax]

Drak Pope wins the thread!

[lightning]

Why would I want to follow some vindictive jerkoff with an inferiority complex and a penchant for smiting people the wrong people?

Ah, yes. The first member of the Fundie Trinity, God the Abusive Father.

BTW, the other two are God the Fussy Little Bureaucrat (gotta follow every tiny little rule) and God the Random Number Generator (good things cone from God, bad things are random chance)

[Vermic]

According to one of my co-workers yesterday, the Minnesota bridge collapse was God's punishment for electing a Muslim congressman.

Yeah.

[cjmr]

I wondered how long it would take before someone came up with a "This is 'God's punishment' for X" type rationale for the event. I hadn't even noticed it was the district that has a Muslim Congressman.

[cjmr's husband]

The "Reverend" Phelps is going to be protesting at the funerals of the victims. Figures.

[hagsrus]

Perhaps the collapse was God's punishment for neglecting proper bridge maintenance.