I-5 bridge collapses over Skagit River, sending vehicles, people into water

http://q13fox.com/2013/05/23/breaking-i-5-bridge-collapses-over-skagit-river-vehicles-people-in-water/ ^ | Q13

[newfreep]

Bush’s fault? No way!!!!

Like Obamatollah, I blame the ATM machines that also destroyed the economy.

[cripplecreek]

Three trillion-with-a-t in stimulus and absolutely nothing to show for it but debt and rusting bridges.

There's plenty to show for it. Just none of it highways.

[lowbridge]

What stimulus? GOP blamed for Washington State bridge collapse

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks djf.

It’ll be blamed on Bush, Republicans, conservatives, opponents of overtaxing Americans, the sequestration...

[mc5cents]

Yea, it looks like the “about” in “about 18 feet of water” has a very wide range!

[cripplecreek]

Time for Obama to claim credit for the bridge across the Detroit river that Canada is paying for.

[BykrBayb]

[XHogPilot]

Do bridges collapse often in the US?

No, this is a rarity. Both the state (Washington) and the federal government are responsible for funding inspection and upkeep of the Interstate road system. Additionally, non-government organizations, primarily engineering profesionals, bolster the inspection process.

This is what the much ballyhood stimulus bill of 2009 was designed to repair. Unfortunately most of the funding was diverted by political favoritism to the likes of Green Energy, et al.

[the scotsman]

Ah, ok. I thought it happened more than it should.

[the scotsman]

I thought it was happening a bit too often recently. My bag.

[Lexinom]

They're routing... out west via the Memorial Highway, probably via Avon Allen? That's a MUCH longer trek.

No it isn't! :(

[Lexinom]

There’s no reason for that bridge to have collapsed. I believe an overheight semi may have rammed the girders.

[cripplecreek]

It appears that a truck did hit the bridge but that shouldn’t cause a collapse.

[Lexinom]

Trucks from Canada driven by foreigners (not native Canadians) are always barreling down that freeway at high speed despite the 60 MPH limit. Boeing has large and odd-shaped payloads running up and down that freeway. Could have been a new Canadian supplier.

I'm just glad no one was hurt, esp. since my own small kids travel on that stretch of road.

[SeaHawkFan]

It’s a very shallow river and it wasn’t a fall. More like driving down a very steep ramp into water that would act as a cushion. The speed limit in that area is 55-60 and the drivers probably saw it going down before they reach it.

[SeaHawkFan]

Bet they could do a temp repair in 2-3 weeks.

[muawiyah]

This bridge and an even longer span in Minnesota, were subjected to years of Democrat politician neglect and abuse.

They'll bleet and holler about needing more money for infrastructure, and when they get it unless it buys tons of cement and rebar, they'll spend it on something else.

They just don't care!

[thackney]

were already marked with orange paint before the collapse

You are seeing where the surface finish paint cracked off due to the stretching and deformation of the metal. You are seeing the primer layer underneath.

[Lexinom]

That stretch of highway is actually pretty well maintained - worlds ahead of the narrow pothole- and crack-ridden slabs of concrete they call roads in New York (another Democrat-controlled paradise). When the truck hit the bridge at high speed it obviously displaced the entire section from the supporting column which precipitated the collapse. There was nothing wrong with this bridge.

[Victoria_R]

From the GAO-11-600 Report titled Recovery Act:Funding Used for Transportation Infrastructure Projects, but Some Requirements Proved Challenging

"Washington Department of Transportation does not have adequate controls to ensure that information the Recovery Act required to be reported for its highway program is accurate." (page 19)

Translation: The State of Washington's accounting system sucks and they couldn't (or didn't want to) keep track of where the money went.