I-35W Bridge Collapse Into Mississippi River

[BoogyMan]

This is horrible.


Source Link: http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_213191448.html

(WCCO) Minneapolis The Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge near University Avenue has collapsed into the river.

Both the northbound and southbound lanes of 35W are lying in the Mississippi River.

There are multiple cars in the river and a couple cars on fire. According to one witness, there was a school bus full of children on the bridge.

Cars are still on the bridge.

Tons of concrete have collapsed and people are injured. Survivors are being carried up the riverbank.

Some people are stranded on parts of the bridge that aren't completely in the water.

A tractor-trailer is on fire at the collapse scene.

Some cars are still precariously perched on the bridge. Sections of the bridge are mangled, some are pointing up in the air and some are in the river.

"It is just horrific," said witness Marilyn Franzen, who saw the bridge collapse. Franzen said she saw a school bus that managed to stop before the going over the edge of the bridge that she said was carrying 20-30 children.

According to witnesses, cars are crushed and mangled under the bridge where it collapsed onto the shore of the river. Street signs also crushed cars.

The road has been under construction since the beginning of the summer.

[bobbylien]

Well, the governor is going to lose his job over this. I'm talking to a friend from Minneapolis right now and he says that he vetoed transportation budget spending increases for the past like 4 years. Typical of republicans to focus on the small hick towns and leave the urban areas needing funding.

[Alonzo]

Sad. I wonder what happened? Was it a building mistake, funding problem, or simply bad luck?

Typical of republicans to focus on the small hick towns and leave the urban areas needing funding.

The money goes where the votes are.

[bobbylien]

I don't know what happened exactly but I do know that it takes an absolutely ridiculous level of negligence to allow a bridge of this size to collapse. What a shame.

[ViolaLee]

They are saying that lanes were closed to do construction, retrofitting, bridge work...and that the jack-hammering may have harmed the structure and made it unsteady. Once something like that happens in one place, it's like dominoes, the bridge is so heavy and can't hold up when it starts collapsing. It's the same sort of thing that made the WTC collapse. The weight of the parts falling, put pressure on the parts still standing and then they fall too.

[Labrocca]

My mom called me up today to tell me about this. She was upset with the governor too. Supposedly he took 3 hours to get to the scene. Total asswipe. The capital is St. Paul..about 20-30 minute drive MAX to the area...there is no way that he shouldn't have been able to get there within 1 hour.

He just lost any chance of reelection.

Luckily only 6 have reportedly died. This had the potential to kill dozens.

[PatrickHenry]

Who's got all the money? The Feds, that's who.

And what are they spending the money on? War that's what.

Certainly not the bridges of the interstates.

Let's see...optional wars on the other side of the world? Or the disposable citizens of I-35? Which would you spend your money on?

This is pathetic...

[Buck Laser]

Who's got all the money? The Feds, that's who.

And what are they spending the money on? War that's what.

Certainly not the bridges of the interstates.

Let's see...optional wars on the other side of the world? Or the disposable citizens of I-35? Which would you spend your money on?

This is pathetic...

But the feds have been shucking that money off to the states for YEARS. I'm sure there's blame enough to go around.
I live near the south end of I-35, and using it to go either to Dallas or San Antonio is torture. Between here and Dallas, they have sections that advertise "private maintenance," and they're even worse than the state maintained sections. As a matter of fact, I think the feds funnel any money they spend on interstates to the the states.

[BoogyMan]

Who's got all the money? The Feds, that's who.

And what are they spending the money on? War that's what.

Certainly not the bridges of the interstates.

Let's see...optional wars on the other side of the world? Or the disposable citizens of I-35? Which would you spend your money on?

This is pathetic...


What is pathetic, PH is the attempt to take a cheap shot at the government over a tragedy you cannot attribute to their oversight. The state gets distributions from the federal government and has a choice in what to do with those funds in many cases. Why don't we back away from the ridiculous rhetoric for a moment and consider the enormity of what has happened here?

[Questerr]

Who's got all the money? The Feds, that's who.

And what are they spending the money on? War that's what.

Certainly not the bridges of the interstates.

Let's see...optional wars on the other side of the world? Or the disposable citizens of I-35? Which would you spend your money on?

This is pathetic...

But the feds have been shucking that money off to the states for YEARS. I'm sure there's blame enough to go around.
I live near the south end of I-35, and using it to go either to Dallas or San Antonio is torture. Between here and Dallas, they have sections that advertise "private maintenance," and they're even worse than the state maintained sections. As a matter of fact, I think the feds funnel any money they spend on interstates to the the states.


I live in San Antonio, and while I agree with you in general on the state of Texan interstates, but I think I410 and I10 are worse by orders of magnitude.

[Marley]

Money?

MONEY?

All liberals care about is money!

Money money money money...

Oh, I almost forgot, FIRST accuse others of being greedy, THEN only care about money money money money money...

Money is just money, it can't buy happiness, it can't do much of anything but facilitate transactions.

Did any of you liberals in your rush to craven greed stop and consider a structurally unsound bridge should be CLOSED?

Sure, you can still stop the buck at the Gov's desk, no problem, but PLEASE, all you liberals give your greed a break while this human tragedy continues to unfold, okay? Out of respect for the killed, injured and their families and loved ones, okay?

[Buck Laser]

money?

Brilliant reaction, Jack. Bridges and highways are mended with money, not good wishes or fairy dust. Next time, look at the topic. Someone has to pay for rebuilding the bridge, and ultimately some of the cost is gonna come out of my pocket and yours.

[Marley]

Yeah "brilliant" dude, "unmended" bridges should be CLOSED!!!!

Went right over your head huh?

"Next time, look at the topic." Is doesn't say anything about money. "Brilliant!"

To the others, pardon my repitition of the same point. Some apparently have a short, childish attention span and can't make it past the the first few paragraphs of a post I guess.

[Questerr]

It's kinda hard to close an intestate highway bridge that gets millions of cars of traffic per week.

And even if the mayor or governor did order it closed, the resulting questionion would have resulted in the same reaction we are haivng now:

Angry motorists: "Traffic is backed up for miles because that bridge is closed and it adds huge ammounts of time to my commute, not to mention the gas I use. Why is it closed?"

State official: "We're broke and we can't fix it."

[Buck Laser]

Yeah "brilliant" dude, "unmended" bridges should be CLOSED!!!!

Went right over your head huh?

"Next time, look at the topic." Is doesn't say anything about money. "Brilliant!"

To the others, pardon my repitition of the same point. Some apparently have a short, childish attention span and can't make it past the the first few paragraphs of a post I guess.


Here's what your quote said, boyo:
Money?
MONEY?
All liberals care about is money!
Money money money money...
Oh, I almost forgot, FIRST accuse others of being greedy, THEN only care about money money money money money...
Money is just money, it can't buy happiness, it can't do much of anything but facilitate transactions.
Did any of you liberals in your rush to craven greed stop and consider a structurally unsound bridge should be CLOSED?
Sure, you can still stop the buck at the Gov's desk, no problem, but PLEASE, all you liberals give your greed a break while this human tragedy continues to unfold, okay? Out of respect for the killed, injured and their families and loved ones, okay?
A few words about closing a structurally unsound bridge (though no one apparently knew it was unsound), yet you rant about money. Go figure...

[DANG]

The state gets distributions from the federal government and has a choice in what to do with those funds in many cases.
Money money money money...
Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/02/06/bush_budget_puts_pinch_on_domestic_spending/)

WASHINGTON -- President Bush yesterday proposed deep cuts to federal healthcare, education, and transportation programs, searching for new money in the federal budget to pay for increasingly costly defense programs and the war in Iraq.(Patrick gets the prize)

Better to break, than to mend.http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/53/sarcasmwp0.gif

This is also a great distraction from bushs' newest obstruction of justice. Whats one more contempt of Congress, this time for his favorite turd blossom?

Help is on the way for the Red State.... just watch how effective government will get.......meanwhile downstream in N'Orleans..... hows it goin' Brownie?

[BoogyMan]

Egads DANG, you should spend less time reading and parroting the assertions of the KOStards and check out some real news and your desperation to tack this onto the president might fade a bit.

[DANG]

I never go to KOS.[hr]This bridge collapse, is it a singular an event... or do you see a pattern developing?

Read "The Mississippi Gambler" by Michael Rivero (http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/missgambler.html), its a cautionary tale. Prophetic.[hr]Its just a couple of paragraphs... but you should click the link because it has some great pix.

[PatrickHenry]

Money?

MONEY?

All liberals care about is money!

Money money money money...

Oh, I almost forgot, FIRST accuse others of being greedy, THEN only care about money money money money money...

Money is just money, it can't buy happiness, it can't do much of anything but facilitate transactions.

Did any of you liberals in your rush to craven greed stop and consider a structurally unsound bridge should be CLOSED?

Sure, you can still stop the buck at the Gov's desk, no problem, but PLEASE, all you liberals give your greed a break while this human tragedy continues to unfold, okay? Out of respect for the killed, injured and their families and loved ones, okay?
Dude! Get off your FoxNews hobby horse and listen to some sense!

The nation's bridges are in lousy shape. We have known this for quite some time. How do you repair a bridge? How do you build a new one? It takes money!

Here, read an article and become educated, then you'll look like you belong in this sandbox called DF. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/02/bridge.infrastructure/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

See, the Feds are experts at collecting money...but they suck at figuring out how to spend it right. They think foreign wars are a good value...

But what the nation really needs isn't some explosions in some remote village you never heard of...we need to fix the damn bridges!

Reid says we need to get our priorities straight: http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/us_mayor_newspaper/documents/10_15_01/reid.asp

It helps the economy, too. Construction jobs pay well and construction workers spend their paychecks, not hoard them like the corporate friends of BushCo. It makes those dollars churn...

[bobbylien]

More Than 70,000 Bridges Rated Deficient
Repair Costs Estimated To Be Billions Of Dollars

WASHINGTON -- More than 70,000 bridges across the country are rated structurally deficient, like the span that collapsed in Minneapolis.

Experts said on Thursday that fixing them will take a generation and cost more than $188 billion. And the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated the repair job would require more than 20 years to complete.

The bridges carry an average of more than 300 million vehicles a day. Just what risk many of those spans pose is unclear.

The Federal Highway Administration has said addressing the backlog of needed repairs would take at least $55 billion. And that was five years ago.

It is money that Congress, the federal government and the states have so far been unable or unwilling to spend.
I guess its sad for me to admit but I am 100% positive that I will directly profit from these deaths.

[PatrickHenry]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/02/bridge.structure/index.html?iref=newssearch
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said the collapse should trigger action.

"I think we should look at this tragedy that occurred as a wake-up call for us. We have -- all over the country -- crumbling infrastructure, highways, bridges, dams, and we really need to take a hard look at this," Reid said Thursday.

He said it was "the right thing to do" for the infrastructure and the economy. "For every billion dollars we spend in our crumbling infrastructure, 47,000 high-paying jobs are created," Reid said.

[DANG]

"For every billion dollars we spend in our crumbling infrastructure, 47,000 high-paying jobs are created," Reid said.
Unless they give a no bid contract to Haliburton.... Which is not an American company anymore. They are based in UAE now.
They would not necessarily be paying much taxes here.
They (Haliburton) could bring in slave laborers like they did for the MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR AMERICAN EMBASSY IN IRAQ

Also remember what power the white house has stolen: Proclamation by the President: To Suspend Subchapter IV of Chapter 31 of Title 40, United States Code,

Within a Limited Geographic Area in Response to the National Emergency Caused by Hurricane Katrina

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
~~snip~~

1. Section 3142(a) of title 40, United States Code, provides that "every contract in excess of $2,000, to which the Federal Government or the District of Columbia is a party, for construction, alteration, or repair, including painting and decorating, of public buildings and public works of the Government or the District of Columbia that are located in a State or the District of Columbia and which requires or involves the employment of mechanics or laborers shall contain a provision stating the minimum wages to be paid various classes or laborers and mechanics."

2. Section 3142(b) of title 40, United States Code, provides that such "minimum wages shall be based on the wages the Secretary of Labor determines to be prevailing for the corresponding classes of laborers and mechanics employed on projects of a character similar to the contract work in the civil subdivision of the State in which the work is to be performed . . ."

~~snip~~

(a) Hurricane Katrina has resulted in unprecedented property damage.

(b) The wage rates imposed by section 3142 of title 40, United States Code, increase the cost to the Federal Government of providing Federal assistance to these areas.

(c) Suspension of the subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code, 40 U.S.C. 3141-3148, and the operation of related acts to the extent they depend upon the Secretary of Labor's determinations under section 3142 of title 40, United States Code, will result in greater assistance to these devastated communities and will permit the employment of thousands of additional individuals.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do by this proclamation suspend, as to all contracts entered into on or after the date of this proclamation and until otherwise provided, the provisions of subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code, 40 U.S.C. 3141-3148,.....

more yada-yada (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050908-5.html)

Oh yeah, if you are a survivor of the bridge collapse.... you are not in the clear yet (unless you are a white registered republican?):

LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-fema20jul20,1,5627109.story?coll=la-health-medicine)

FEMA suppressed health warnings

Katrina victims tell a House committee that formaldehyde in their trailers made them sick. Documents show testing was discouraged.

By Claudia Lauer, Times Staff Writer
July 20, 2007


WASHINGTON — Top officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency knew about reports of possible health problems from formaldehyde in trailers provided to Hurricane Katrina victims, according to documents released Thursday by a House committee.

The warnings from Gulf Coast field workers were brushed aside because "senior FEMA officials in Washington … didn't want the moral and legal responsibility to do what they knew had to be done," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, as he opened a hearing into the agency's response.


Documents from the agency's general counsel advised FEMA officials against agreeing to testing because of the fear of liability for health problems among the 120,000 families who were temporarily housed in the trailers.

"Do not initiate any testing until we give the OK," one FEMA attorney wrote on June 15, 2006, three months after the first news reports appeared about possible formaldehyde-related problems. "Once you get results and should they indicate some problem, the clock is running on our duty to respond to them."

Waxman's frustration with FEMA was shared by the committee's top Republican, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia, who said that the agency "failed to get information they needed and failed to act to prevent this crisis."

"FEMA's reaction to the problem was deliberately stunted to bolster the agency's litigation position," he said.

Davis said FEMA officials had acted to obstruct an almost yearlong investigation into the allegations by incorrectly invoking attorney-client privilege on most of the 5,000 pages of documents released Thursday. But the agency's director, R. David Paulison, denied taking a cue from legal counsel when setting agency policy.

"The general counsel does not set policy for this organization," said Paulison, who joined FEMA as acting director in September 2005 and was confirmed as its chief eight months later. "The health and safety of residents is my primary concern."

He would not confirm that formaldehyde had contributed to any illnesses, and said that FEMA trailers would soon be tested for mold, airborne bacteria and more, including formaldehyde. The tests, announced Wednesday, will be conducted in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Formaldehyde is a common component of glues, molded plastics and building materials, including particleboard used in manufactured homes. Symptoms of long-term exposure can include respiratory problems, burning eyes or nose, headaches and bloody noses. The International Agency for Research on Cancer identifies the chemical as a carcinogen in humans.

Committee members argued that FEMA had ample opportunity to test the trailers after about 200 residents lodged complaints referring specifically to formaldehyde. Agency documents showed that only one inhabited trailer was tested, in April 2006. Its formaldehyde level was measured at 1.2 parts per million, 75 times higher than the maximum workplace exposure level set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

FEMA subsequently tested 96 new trailers last fall, but under what Waxman called dubious conditions — their ventilation systems and air conditioners were constantly running and the windows were left open for three weeks before final readings were taken. Asking individuals to live like that, Waxman noted, was not realistic.

More... (including horror stories) (http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-fema20jul20,1,5627109.story?coll=la-health-medicine) If you shake hands with a FEMA agent... be sure to wash away the toxins.

Remember how every dollar was sub-contracted TO F#CKING DEATH, in Katrina??
Should we expect more of the same.... or some kind of mythical efficiency?

Wheres Brownie, goddammit?

[DANG]

From AP### (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/02/bush-administration-backtracks-on-katrina-contracts/)

Bush administration backtracks on Katrina contracts

A new congressional analysis finds that the “Bush administration has shown little progress — and in some cases backtracked — on its pledge to do a better job in awarding contracts to small, Gulf Coast businesses (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070802/katrina-contracts/) for Hurricane Katrina work.” Some highlights:

– Approximately “7.4 percent of Katrina contracts so far have gone to small businesses in Louisiana, down from 12.5 percent in April.”

– “Since April, only 6 percent of new GSA contracts for Katrina work _ about $61,000 out of roughly $978,000 _ went to small Louisiana businesses. At the VA, the percentage was even lower: 0.7 percent, or $25,435 out of $3.6 million.”

– “Out of the $95.6 million in total contracts that were inaccurately claimed as going to small business, more than $77 million, or 81 percent, were awards by the Defense Department.”

[PatrickHenry]

Wheres Brownie, goddammit?
He's prob'ly doing a "heckuva" job...

[Jaaaman]

Who is Brownie? And what the heck does it have to do with this discussion anyway?

[DANG]

It was a joke J.

Brownie was the hero/villain in the Murder of New Orleans case 2 years ago.

(Hero to bush/villain to the victims)

[PatrickHenry]

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/518J4403QWL._SS500_.jpg

[Jaaaman]

It was a joke J.

Brownie was the hero/villain in the Murder of New Orleans case 2 years ago.

(Hero to bush/villain to the victims)


Ok... thanks for the explanation.

[BoogyMan]

Brown has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion which the left is desperate to try and turn into a "George W. personally destroyed the bridge" type of discussion.

Most federal transportation monies are doled out to the states for their usage as needs demand, ignoring this is evidence of a dishonest attempt to blame the administration for the ills of the state and its distribution of those funds.

[3.14]

The most important thing to do now is to fix all the bridges in the US that are functionally obsolete. If I remember right, the number's something to the tune of 80,000. . .

The $188 billion required also has to come from someplace - likely out of the tax payer's pockets. Sucks, but thats probably whats going to have to be done. . . (unless I'm reading the situation wrong - if I am, someone please correct me. :)).

Edit: eeks! I thought the amount was far lower.

[PatrickHenry]

Boogy are you saying the billions for Iraq are a beter value than billions for infrastructure? We can't have both...gotta prioritize.

[BoogyMan]

Boogy are you saying the billions for Iraq are a beter value than billions for infrastructure? We can't have both...gotta prioritize.


I am saying that the state gets money and makes it's own choices. It is now known that the first report of that bridge being dangerous was all the way back to 1990.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070803/D8QPGEE80.html

How much money has the state NOT spent on that bridge in the 17 years since that first report?

[3.14]

Boogy are you saying the billions for Iraq are a beter value than billions for infrastructure? We can't have both...gotta prioritize.


IMHO, and I'm not trying to bring Iraq into all this - spending a ton of money on one's own country rather than spending it in a lost cause in Iraq seems far more sensible.

[DANG]

Gosh, thats a tough call. Killing or commuting.

Domestic repairs or murdering foreigners....
Can we get a hint?

Heres bushs Transportation Plan: http://www.armchairsubversive.org/

No, wait... that ones about republican pedophiles. Try this one: Bush Administration Killed Increased Highway Repairs In 2004 (http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/08/bush-administration-killed-increased.html)

But for the sake of four cents a gallon back in 2004, the Bush Administration said no additional money would be provided for roads and bridges. Yet we pour billions of borrowed money into Iraq every month.

[BoogyMan]

Gosh, thats a tough call. Killing or commuting.

Domestic repairs or murdering foreigners....
Can we get a hint?

Heres bushs Transportation Plan: http://www.armchairsubversive.org/

No, wait... that ones about republican pedophiles. Try this one: Bush Administration Killed Increased Highway Repairs In 2004 (http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/08/bush-administration-killed-increased.html)

But for the sake of four cents a gallon back in 2004, the Bush Administration said no additional money would be provided for roads and bridges. Yet we pour billions of borrowed money into Iraq every month.


Interesting how you folks on the radical left won't just come out and speak the truth. What was actually done was the prevention of a gas tax increase Dang.

Egads.

[DANG]

Or we can cut funding to the Pentagon by 1/2.

That might mess up plans for a looting campaign in Iran... but, folks stateside can get to work and back, without swimming halfway home.[hr]I found some more money for bridge and pot hole repairs:

Stop funding the insurgents (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/03/AR2007080302322.html?hpid=topnews). Isnt that giving comfort to the enemy anyway?[hr]
Interesting how you folks on the radical left won't just come out and speak the truth. What was actually done was the prevention of a gas tax increase Dang.No need to call me a liar.
The increase was in keeping with inflation.
When first established in 1956, the 3-cent-a-gallon tax represented about 10 percent of the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

The current tax, which hasn’t been raised since 1993, is 18.4 cents a gallon, about 6 percent of the pump price. Two years ago, Congress proposed raising the tax by 4 cents a gallon, but the measure died when the White House threatened to veto any highway spending bill that included a tax increase.
I suppose the idea is, if all the bridges and highways rot away, the peasants will beg for the New World Orders plans for the NAFTA Superhighway. It has already been privatised without congressional approval.... it will be owned by foreign companies. They will collect tolls (thats taxes, but to other countries). All this, and more, without so much as a debate.

"It'd be a heckuva lot easier if this were a dictatorship" ~~gw cheney





[hr]My last quote is found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20095291/page/2/

More about the NAFTA Superhighway, by Ron Paul, here:
http://www.house.gov/paul/images/banner_column.jpg
http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2006/tst103006.htm

[Stoner]

Who's got all the money? The Feds, that's who.

And what are they spending the money on? War that's what.

Certainly not the bridges of the interstates.

Let's see...optional wars on the other side of the world? Or the disposable citizens of I-35? Which would you spend your money on?

This is pathetic...


http://www.cnsnews.com/cartoon/nowakimages/2007/Daily-Kos.jpg

[DANG]

Dont forget how bush was blaming the dems in the first hour.

[BoogyMan]

Interesting how you folks on the radical left won't just come out and speak the truth. What was actually done was the prevention of a gas tax increase Dang.No need to call me a liar.
The increase was in keeping with inflation.
When first established in 1956, the 3-cent-a-gallon tax represented about 10 percent of the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

The current tax, which hasn’t been raised since 1993, is 18.4 cents a gallon, about 6 percent of the pump price. Two years ago, Congress proposed raising the tax by 4 cents a gallon, but the measure died when the White House threatened to veto any highway spending bill that included a tax increase.

Gads DANG, nobody said you were a liar, but you certainly are desperate to try and blame the president for this. I find it telling in light of the fact that several administrations have come and gone since the bridge was first deemed unsafe in 92.

We all know that the states have the responsibility of using their transportation funds wisely. Did it happen here? Who knows, I am sure we will find out over time.