Another Interstate Bridge Collapse

[Steelplate]

We'll Huggy....I hate to tell you this...but trucks tend to go over bridges from time to time...and yes...every once in a while they clip the bridge...did you see the damage to the box of the truck? It was minimal...it wasn't like it slammed it

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/21/66/47/4680164/5/628x471.jpg

 

[Mertex]

How come everyone here is such an expert on spending other peoples money?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If the above statement is true, why are we in such deep shit?

Maybe conservatives are not as conservative as they want to appear - when it comes to other people's money (taxpayers).

 

[RoadVirus]

.
The tax cut culture strikes again!


I-5 bridge collapses over Skagit River; cars in the water | The Today File | Seattle Times


Posted by Brian M. Rosenthal




An Interstate 5 bridge collapsed into the Skagit River on Thursday evening, dumping cars and people into the waters north of Mount Vernon.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Mark Francis wrote on Twitter at 7:19 p.m. that both the northbound and southbound lanes had collapsed in the water.

Francis told the Associated Press he did not know how many people were in the water, whether there were any injuries or what caused the collapse.

Rescue efforts were under way soon after as dozens of people gathered on the shore to watch. A reporter on the scene said he saw a rescue boat take at least one person to shore amid cheers from the spectators.

Photographs of the collapse circulating on Twitter and Facebook showed a wide gap in the bridge and at least two vehicles in the water.

The bridge, built in 1955, was classified by the National Bridge Inventory as “functionally obsolete” in both 2000 and 2010. But the Washington Department of Transportation does not list it among its list of “structurally deficient bridges.”

Traffic around the site was backed up for miles.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen released a statement saying in part that he encourages “people to follow police instructions and stay away from the site of the collapse to let first responders address the situation safely.”

<snip>


.

Let me get this straight, the tax cuts caused the driver to ignore the height restrictions on the bridge, which caused him to drive a trailer that was too tall into the bridge support.

Glad to know your brain is so sharp.

What do you want, QW? That's how a Liberal's brain works.

 

[RoadVirus]

Some of us have been asking for infrastructure work for a long time. This bridge was "functionally obsolete", as are many others. How many have to die?

Why did Obama waste all our money paying welfare, unemployment, food-stamps, disability, snap, etc instead of putting people to work rebuilding our infrastructure?

To make sure the welfare whores kept voting Democrat.

 

[Political Junky]

Why did Obama waste all our money paying welfare, unemployment, food-stamps, disability, snap, etc instead of putting people to work rebuilding our infrastructure?

Because Republicans blocked it?

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

Cons have fought every effort to build the infrastructure.

 

[HUGGY]

We'll Huggy....I hate to tell you this...but trucks tend to go over bridges from time to time...and yes...every once in a while they clip the bridge...did you see the damage to the box of the truck? It was minimal...it wasn't like it slammed it

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/21/66/47/4680164/5/628x471.jpg

Right... Most trucks have trailers behind them made of aluminum. Aluminum is a lot weaker than steel. Even the next most popular container is a steel shipping container. Neither of these is tall enough to come into contact with the bridge. The oversize "box" made of heavy gauge steel was meant to clear a 15' 9" bridge super structure. That bridge has a clearance of 15' 6". When something that strong and heavy going 60 MPH hits something of a smaller gauge the weaker material will buckle. No bridge of that design can take the impact it sustained to knock it off its concrete foundation. The bridge failed because of impact...not because of poor maintenance.

 

[Mertex]

Because Republicans blocked it?

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

Cons have fought every effort to build the infrastructure.

They don't want to spend the money here in America to fix our bridges, because they want to save it so they can help another Muslim country acquire democracy.

 

[Clementine]

Why did Obama waste all our money paying welfare, unemployment, food-stamps, disability, snap, etc instead of putting people to work rebuilding our infrastructure?

Because Republicans blocked it?

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

President elect Obama in Nov. 2008 - "There will be a two-year nationwide effort to jump-start job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy. We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges."

Yet tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads, an Associated Press analysis shows.

Of the 2,476 bridges scheduled to receive stimulus money so far, nearly half have passed inspections with high marks, according to federal data. Those 1,123 sound bridges received such high inspection ratings that they normally would not qualify for federal bridge money, yet they will share in more than $1.2 billion in stimulus money.

Read more: Crumbling Bridges Forgotten, Stimulus Money Spent on Safer Spans | Fox News


Stim money went to people for playing video games and a host of other stupid things.

Stimulus Money Went To Watching Movies and Playing Video Games
Stimulus Money Went To Watching Movies and Playing Video Games | Independent Journal Review


We gave the terrorist-friendly Muslim Brotherhood a billion dollars, fighter jets, tanks and weapons.

We continue to give billions in foreign aid.

Despite that, the Dems are using the Sequester as an excuse to stop White House tours and blame it whenever something goes wrong.

The OP seems to suggest that the sequester is responsible for the bridge collapsing. Obama wants us to feel the pain of his sequester and he has gone out of his way to make that happen. Now everything will be blamed on the sequester.

The Sequester was Obama's baby. Before anyone allows their racist side to take over and bash Herman Cain, since this is on his site, you might want to scroll down toward the bottom of the page and watch the video for yourself.

White House finally admits, Obama admin created the sequester - See more at: Politics: White House finally admits, Obama admin created the sequester | CainTV


How about we tell the Muslim Brotherhood no more money and stop the other foreign aid to our enemies. It's not like we can buy their friendship. They'll come after us with the weapons we gave them.

Stop sending them our hard earned money and open up OUR White House to tours again. Stop acting like the White House is your personal property, Obama, and quit playing games.

 

[Papageorgio]

Because Republicans blocked it?

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

President elect Obama in Nov. 2008 - "There will be a two-year nationwide effort to jump-start job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy. We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges."

Yet tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads, an Associated Press analysis shows.

Of the 2,476 bridges scheduled to receive stimulus money so far, nearly half have passed inspections with high marks, according to federal data. Those 1,123 sound bridges received such high inspection ratings that they normally would not qualify for federal bridge money, yet they will share in more than $1.2 billion in stimulus money.

Read more: Crumbling Bridges Forgotten, Stimulus Money Spent on Safer Spans | Fox News


Stim money went to people for playing video games and a host of other stupid things.

Stimulus Money Went To Watching Movies and Playing Video Games
Stimulus Money Went To Watching Movies and Playing Video Games | Independent Journal Review


We gave the terrorist-friendly Muslim Brotherhood a billion dollars, fighter jets, tanks and weapons.

We continue to give billions in foreign aid.

Despite that, the Dems are using the Sequester as an excuse to stop White House tours and blame it whenever something goes wrong.

The OP seems to suggest that the sequester is responsible for the bridge collapsing. Obama wants us to feel the pain of his sequester and he has gone out of his way to make that happen. Now everything will be blamed on the sequester.

The Sequester was Obama's baby. Before anyone allows their racist side to take over and bash Herman Cain, since this is on his site, you might want to scroll down toward the bottom of the page and watch the video for yourself.

White House finally admits, Obama admin created the sequester - See more at: Politics: White House finally admits, Obama admin created the sequester | CainTV


How about we tell the Muslim Brotherhood no more money and stop the other foreign aid to our enemies. It's not like we can buy their friendship. They'll come after us with the weapons we gave them.

Stop sending them our hard earned money and open up OUR White House to tours again. Stop acting like the White House is your personal property, Obama, and quit playing games.

That was post election hyperbole, he can't be held accountable for that...or anything else.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Because Republicans blocked it?

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

Cons have fought every effort to build the infrastructure.

I guess you missed the hoopla about the bridge to nowhere that was earmarked by a Republican.

 

[Clementine]

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

President elect Obama in Nov. 2008 - "There will be a two-year nationwide effort to jump-start job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy. We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges."

Yet tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads, an Associated Press analysis shows.

Of the 2,476 bridges scheduled to receive stimulus money so far, nearly half have passed inspections with high marks, according to federal data. Those 1,123 sound bridges received such high inspection ratings that they normally would not qualify for federal bridge money, yet they will share in more than $1.2 billion in stimulus money.

Read more: Crumbling Bridges Forgotten, Stimulus Money Spent on Safer Spans | Fox News


Stim money went to people for playing video games and a host of other stupid things.

Stimulus Money Went To Watching Movies and Playing Video Games
Stimulus Money Went To Watching Movies and Playing Video Games | Independent Journal Review


We gave the terrorist-friendly Muslim Brotherhood a billion dollars, fighter jets, tanks and weapons.

We continue to give billions in foreign aid.

Despite that, the Dems are using the Sequester as an excuse to stop White House tours and blame it whenever something goes wrong.

The OP seems to suggest that the sequester is responsible for the bridge collapsing. Obama wants us to feel the pain of his sequester and he has gone out of his way to make that happen. Now everything will be blamed on the sequester.

The Sequester was Obama's baby. Before anyone allows their racist side to take over and bash Herman Cain, since this is on his site, you might want to scroll down toward the bottom of the page and watch the video for yourself.

White House finally admits, Obama admin created the sequester - See more at: Politics: White House finally admits, Obama admin created the sequester | CainTV


How about we tell the Muslim Brotherhood no more money and stop the other foreign aid to our enemies. It's not like we can buy their friendship. They'll come after us with the weapons we gave them.

Stop sending them our hard earned money and open up OUR White House to tours again. Stop acting like the White House is your personal property, Obama, and quit playing games.

That was post election hyperbole, he can't be held accountable for that...or anything else.

That seems to be the rule these days. The Obama administration takes no responsibility for what happens within the Obama administration. No one knows anything.

Compare the rhetoric of today with the way presidents used to address the country.

"First, let me say I take full responsibility for my own actions and for those of my administration. As angry as I may be about activities undertaken without my knowledge, I am still accountable for those activities." ~ Ronald Reagan

Obama just says the government is too big for anyone to know what's going on and he refuses to accept any responsibility.

 

[TheSeventhTiger]

so according to some of the leftist radicals, George Bush was driving the vehicle that toppled the bridge. is this true?

 

[Papageorgio]

Yes, he was driving and Cheney was directing him.

 

[Cowman]

Infrastructure is one of the most valuable things to a country.

Neglecting infrastructure is literally taking one of the things that facilitated making this country great, and neglecting it.

Bridges, roads, public buildings need constant maintenance and repair, and money should be spent on it.

 

[Cowman]

Then how did Obama manage to increase entitlement welfare, unemployment, food-stamps & disability spending, but not manage to get money to repair the infrastructure that would have created jobs that would have reduced dependence on those support programs?

Cons have fought every effort to build the infrastructure.

I guess you missed the hoopla about the bridge to nowhere that was earmarked by a Republican.

Something that wasn't needed, because the ferries were able to handle it. A ferry every 30 minutes, vs a nearly 400 million dollar bridge project, not counting constant maintenance.

 

[Star]

We'll Huggy....I hate to tell you this...but trucks tend to go over bridges from time to time...and yes...every once in a while they clip the bridge...did you see the damage to the box of the truck? It was minimal...it wasn't like it slammed it

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/21/66/47/4680164/5/628x471.jpg

Right! That's the point, "No bridge of that design can..." -- because all things considered, the Skagit River Bridge is functionally obsolete, meaning; "Functionally obsolete bridges are those that do not have adequate lane widths, shoulder widths, or vertical clearances to serve current traffic demand, or those that may be occasionally flooded."

"No bridge of that design can..." -- because the Skagit River Bridge is also a Fracture-Critical bridge meaning; "A fracture-critical bridge is one that does not contain redundant supporting elements. This means that if those key supports fail, the bridge would be in danger of collapse. This does not mean the bridge is inherently unsafe, only that there is a lack of redundancy in its design."

According to Engineering News Record, one of the problems with "Steel Truss bridges like this one are designed with a complicated web of forces distributed through the interdependent parts.

It's a trait shared with a bridge in Minneapolis, which fell Aug. 1, 2007. Rush-hour traffic stalled on that bridge went into free-fall, and dozens of vehicles plummeted into the Mississippi River. Thirteen people died, and 145 were hurt. The Minneapolis bridge, supported from beneath, was known as a decaying structure, unlike the Skagit bridge."

and

"The Skagit bridge was rated "structurally deficient" in 1992, needing $8.3 million in fixes, according to a report by uglybridges.com, which cites the National Bridge Inventory data for that year. There was erosion on the stream banks below, and serious road-deck damage or wear. By 1994, the federal database listed the bridge as "functionally obsolete," an improved rating but an indication it still wasn't adequate for modern traffic."

The estimated replacement cost for the Skagit River Bridge is $15 million.

.

 

[Jarlaxle]

We'll Huggy....I hate to tell you this...but trucks tend to go over bridges from time to time...and yes...every once in a while they clip the bridge...did you see the damage to the box of the truck? It was minimal...it wasn't like it slammed it

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/21/66/47/4680164/5/628x471.jpg

Yes...maybe because the "box" was a BIG-ASS STEEL THING, and not exactly easy to damage!

 

[Star]

Infastructure is better when done by private companies and people

Then-----then the question is, why aren't they building "infrastructure", money's cheap and almost 40% of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was/is tax cuts?
.

 

[editec]

That bridge should NOT have totally failed just because a truck "clipped it".

I think it was obsolete for the traffic of 2013.

When was this bridge built?

 

[Stephanie]

Infastructure is better when done by private companies and people

Then-----then the question is, why aren't they building "infrastructure", money's cheap and almost 40% of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was/is tax cuts?
.

OMG, ALL OF 40%
why don't you go ask and let us know for crying out loud