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One Year After Major Bridge Collapse, Structures Still Need Work
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by Rob Walker | July 31, 2008 at 12:10 pm
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Ever since the collapse of the eight-lane Interstate bridge into the Mississippi River on Aug. 1, 2007, a lot more people have been paying attention to the amount of work being done to repair bridges across the United States.
According to a new Associated Press study, only 12 per cent of bridges with structural deficiencies have been repaired. While the 1,020 bridges in the study are not in imminent danger of collapse, many of the bridges in the States do not do any work on them other than regular repairs.
An Associated Press review of repairs on each state's 20 most-traveled bridges with structural deficiencies found just 12 percent have been fixed. In most states, the most common approach was to plan for repairs later rather than fix problems now.
The bridges reviewed by the AP - 1,020 in all - are not in imminent danger of collapse, state engineers and highway officials say. But the officials acknowledge the structures need improvement, many sooner rather than later.
The collapse of the eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge into the Mississippi River on Aug. 1, 2007, killed 13 people and brought immediate calls for repairs to bridges across the nation.
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bmw328driver
Richfield, Minnesota, United States
Moncrief Speaks
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JeffHuang
Berkeley, California, United States2dayistheday
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United StatesBen and Laura
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United Statesokljjohnson
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 18:02 on July 31st, 2008
This picture, along with others, were taken the first weekend after they allowed people back on the 10th Ave bridge. It see the devastation first hand almost made me sick. However, it was important to me to see it up close. The other picture was taken the day they were putting in the final segments into the bridge.
Ben and Laura has contributed a photo to this story.
at 05:56 on August 1st, 2008
I took these a week after the collapse.
okljjohnson has contributed a photo to this story.
at 16:16 on August 1st, 2008
I work in the area of the collapse. I saw the footage on the news & knew a co-worker was to be working in that area around the same time span. I jumped in the truck & headed down to the site. I know the back-roads & was able to get to the North side of the river even before the ambulances. On the way to the river front I ran into a gentleman flagging me down yelling "WALKING WOUNDED." He was an off-duty EMT, we loaded 4 stunned & wounded people into the into the back of my truck & he directed me to the closest hospital, University of Minnesota Fairview. He was hanging out of the window trying to direct flocks of onlookers out of the way to clear the way for the truck. One of the ladies in the back appeared on the cover of the New York Times feature. Upon return to the river-front, the ambulances & EMT's were there setting up triage. We proceeded to make 3 trips to the hospital, with several stretchers in the bed of my truck.
One sad sight was a frightened, barefoot man crying & searching for his daughter around the triage site.
Once they stopped pulling people from the river we were allowed to stick around the triage site & observe.
Quite a surreal experience.
2dayistheday has contributed a photo to this story.