Bridge Collapse in Wa!

[SeattleSparky]

A bridge spanning the Skagit River on I5 at Mt. Vernon has collapsed!! Cars and people in the water freeway is shut down!!

 

[Recluse]

...that's not good at all. Another example of eroding infrastructure across the US.

 

[franz]

Yikes. I've definitely driven over that bridge dozens of times.

That is going to create huge headaches as far as the traffic in that area's concerned... probably for years.

 

[Galhatz]

I just blazed over the SF Bay bidge, another "miracle " of modern engineering, i guess people are afraid of using it...

 

[Doc4]

Nobody killed or (IIRC) seriously injured. They're blaming this collapse on an oversize truck that clipped the bridge.

Okay, I dislike bad truck drivers as much as the next guy, but come on ... your bridge collapses when ... a truck ... bumps into it??

Yowza.

 

[Neognosis]

I hope it is true that nobody was killed.

Why didn't we "stimulate the economy" by starting public works projects that would employ people AND fix our infrastructure, instead of first mailing people checks, cutting taxes, and giving money to large failing businesses?

I'm not an economist, nor do I know much about economics even. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

 

[Shadowsforbars]

Just glad no one lost their life. A truck driver from this part of the world is being blamed for it, however his wife is putting up a spirited defence.

 

[weizemanner]

They still haven't figured out who is legally to blame

However they have said that the bridge has been failing inspections for over 10 years now. Had they put 1 million into it a year, there would have been no problems. Now the temporary replacement bridge cost 18 million and I don't really want to know what they are spending on the actual replacement. It does look a little odd having one section of bridge completely different than the others...


Just glad nobody got killed.

 

[weizemanner]

Yikes. I've definitely driven over that bridge dozens of times.

That is going to create huge headaches as far as the traffic in that area's concerned... probably for years.

Luckily there is so many ways around that particular bridge, even with the bridge shut down traffic wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. They should have the new replacement bridge up without interruption by the end of October. They already have the new bridge piece in place, they just have to clean up the mess they made without polluting the river.

I was commuting from Bellingham to Everett for barber college every day, have to keep up to date on everything I5.

 

[rxonmymind]

Having read an op ed piece recently on the cost of border"security" that will run a tab of 40-50 BILLION dollars makes me think we could use that money on our failing infrastructure. In another article talk about defense spending, welfare etc. Trim these programs by get this, .01% we could in a TWO years fund repairs for all our bridges in the US. Sometimes I shake my head. Luckily the route to my work hwy 80 has been in the process of being repaved. That's almost fifty miles of new road. Yaay! Unfortunately it's also meant three new windshields:banghead:

 

[egarmo]

I hope it is true that nobody was killed.

Why didn't we "stimulate the economy" by starting public works projects that would employ people AND fix our infrastructure, instead of first mailing people checks, cutting taxes, and giving money to large failing businesses?

I'm not an economist, nor do I know much about economics even. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

Yeah, a British guy named John Maynard Keynes would expand on your view a lot......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes

Thank god there does not seem to be any casualties.

Last murky accident in Spain occurred on 25th of July. High speed train took a curve under a 60 mph limit at more than twice that speed. Dozens killed. Lots of poop throwing between politicians and definite doubts about possibilities to export technology to Saudi Arabia ensued.....