Just happened.

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

Busloads of kids too :(

WTF is it lately with infrastructure stuff.

I hope all will be well. God watch over and protect them all.

2 dead 50 injured. That is incredible that an entire bridge could drop like that.

http://img.breitbart.com/images/2007/8/1/D8QOI8VG0/D8QOI8VG0.jpg

Wonder what the guy in the suburban at the top is thinking right now as he hangs 100' over the rubble. wow.

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070802/capt.42d3b7bca485472fb42e63b6fdd4dfe9.correction_b ridge_collapse_ny119.jpg?x=380&y=268&sig=GadtBHU87EEzW_7_I1Gq0w--

holy moley the entire bridge from one side to the other.

Man....how does that happen???!!!

i think they were drinkin that...that Beer :rtfm:
thats what i think :gu:

Man, terrible. It's a miracle the school bus was able to stop.

Pics of the bridge before:

http://www.mrdbridges.com/bridgesImagesMain/other-35W-griderwork.jpg

http://www.mrdbridges.com/bridgesImagesMain/other-35-W-from-stone.jpg

http://www.visi.com/~jweeks/bridges/pics/i35wmiss01.jpg

The telegram has a great pic on it today. Gives you an idea of how bad it really was.

http://wtimg.ny.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=WT&Date=20070802&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=708020751&Ref=AR&title=1&MaxW=550&MaxH=540

Lookit where the bus ended up. All the kids got out safely with just minor injuries.

That is unreal.

I see highway barrels, maybe someone cut something the shouldn't have???

From Wikipedia:

The I-35W Bridge is a deck-arch truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was built in 1967 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The bridge is notable for not having any piers in the water. Instead, the main support piers are located on the banks of the river, and are built of tubular-shaped concrete pillars. This allows for a wide, clear span across the river, making river navigation easier. Although not very decorative, the bridge is one of the widest bridges in the Twin Cities area and provides an important link for Interstate 35W traffic.

all this happened WITHOUT the aid of an earthquake.:musc:

From Wikipedia:

The I-35W Bridge is a deck-arch truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was built in 1967 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The bridge is notable for not having any piers in the water. Instead, the main support piers are located on the banks of the river, and are built of tubular-shaped concrete pillars. This allows for a wide, clear span across the river, making river navigation easier. Although not very decorative, the bridge is one of the widest bridges in the Twin Cities area and provides an important link for Interstate 35W traffic.


I wonder if not having piers in the water is what caused this. In one of the pictures above, the double arch bridge next to the one that collapsed has a big concrete footing right in the middle of the river. It kind of defeats the purpose of not having piers in the water on the one that collapsed. Thoughts and prayers for the people who were killed or injured and their families. It's pretty scary that things like this can happen and you never know when or where.

that paragraph...

It sounds like a suspension bridge without the suspension

I had Nat'l Fox on the tube at the station last night, (which is always on when I am working) when they went from one program to the collapse. The time from the collapse to airing it was only about eight to ten minutes and the kids were allready off the bus and off the bridge structure. That bus driver should be commended for her safe/defensive driving. If the driver had been doing 65 m.p.h. those kids would have been severely injured. The citizen response was truly heartwarming. Boats were launched and went to the scene. I even saw a kayaker padelling around helping out.