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China today announced it had begun construction of the world's longest sea bridge – barely 18 months after opening the current record-holder. The Y-shaped link between Hong Kong, Macau and China will be around 50km (31 miles) long in total, 35km of which will span the sea, said the state news agency Xinhua. Due to be completed by 2015, the 73bn yuan (£6.75bn) cost of the bridge will be shared by the authorities in the three territories.

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 11, 2009 – Task Force Mountain Warrior servicemembers and Afghan contractors are working to replace a bridge across the Saracha River here. International Security Assistance Force servicemembers assemble the new Saracha Bridge in Afghanistan’s Nangahar province, Dec. 7, 2009. The Afghan government, along with Afghan and international servicemembers, are working together to complete the bridge. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. After flash flooding destroyed the bridge along Highway 1 Aug. 31, Afghan contractors immediately built dirt bypasses and moved concrete to support the footers and piers of the bridge. In September, a...

<p>A truck driver died early today after losing control on the Bay Bridge S-curve at high speed and plummeting 200 feet below to Yerba Buena Island, the most serious collision yet since the new detour was installed, the California Highway Patrol said.</p>

Two more workers died overnight after a bridge under construction in the Pyrenees principality of Andorra collapsed, bringing the death toll to five, the government said Sunday. Six other workers were recovering in hospital after the concrete structure of the road bridge gave way around midday Saturday near the Dos Valires tunnel in the Massana valley in northwest Andorra. Emergency teams worked throughout the night to rescue a man who was trapped up to the waist in rubble, but he died shortly after being pulled from the debris in the early hours on Sunday, according to a government spokesman. The...

Note: The following text is a quote: Hamilton Man Sentenced to 30 Months' Imprisonment for Threatening to Bomb Cincinnati Airport and Other Cincinnati-Area Landmarks CINCINNATI—Frederick D. Purvis, 43, of Hamilton, was sentenced in United States District Court here today to 30 months' imprisonment for a series of messages he sent in November, 2008 in which he threatened to blow up seven Cincinnati-area landmarks including the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. He was also sentenced to serve six years of supervised release after his prison term. Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, James A. Zerhusen, United...

The Bay Bridge reopened just after 9 a.m. today, six days after a repair job on a cracked structural beam on the eastern span fell apart and plunged onto the upper deck. Tests conducted overnight and this morning on an altered version of that repair job showed that the fix was holding, Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said. At 9:01 a.m., a fleet of five California Highway Patrol cars escorted the first private vehicles allowed onto the westbound upper deck since the span was shut down Tuesday evening. About 10 minutes later, the lower deck reopened for traffic heading to the...

Authorities on Tuesday closed a major bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland after a cable on its upper deck snapped during the evening commute.

Authorities said they are shutting down the Bay Bridge in both directions after pieces of the cantilever section fell during the late-afternoon commute, striking three vehicles on the upper deck, the California Highway Patrol said. Caltrans officials said the parts that fell were two high-strength rods and a saddle that were part of the emergency repair that delayed the opening of the bridge on Labor Day weekend.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Oct. 26, 2009 – The road to economic success here is paved and has bridges linking both sides of the Kunar River. Left to right, Sarkani Subgovernor Hamish Gulab, Marawara Subgovernor Mer Azam Gujoorwall and Kunar Subgovernor Fazullah Wahidi cut a ribbon marking the completion of the Nawabad to Marawara road in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, Oct. 26, 2009. The road represents a $2.7 million investment that paves the way for increased security and commerce in Kunar’s Marawara district. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The provincial government,...

SAQLAWIYA, Iraq, Oct. 14, 2009 – On a floating bridge beside the stump of a modern concrete highway span under construction here, two middle-aged men talk through an interpreter about the job before them. Army divers come out of the Euphrates River after a two-hour dive to locate debris in the path of the new Saqlawiya bridge being built north of Taqaddum, Iraq, Oct. 5, 2009. The “umbilical cord” on shore includes the air supply and communications for the divers, who are assigned to the 86th Engineer Dive Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod  (Click photo for screen-resolution...

"Muslim in Washington, DC: "I'm not scared to die! I will kill you! I will blow people up and the Metro!"" SNIPPET: ""Three blocks of Wisconsin Avenue Northwest were cleared of cars and pedestrians. Adjacent buildings and restaurants were evacuated..." "DC Security Scare Becomes Federal Case," by Bob Barnard for MyFoxDC, October 8 (thanks to Heidi): WASHINGTON, D.C. - A man who was arrested in a security scare in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday night threatened to blow up the Friendship Heights Metro station, according to a criminal complaint in the case. It was a chaotic scene Tuesday night in Friendship...

Iranians Blanket Brooklyn Bridge in GreenBy Robert Mackey September 24, 2009, 12:11 pm Update | 10:07 p.m. Here is a video report produced by my colleagues Jeffrey DelViscio and Nazila Fathi on the protest that stretched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Thursday. The report features an interview with Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Mr. Ghaemi said: “The focus today will be to turn Brooklyn Bridge green, and to provide solidarity and let the Iranian people know everyone is standing up with them, hearing them, watching what is happening to them — and...

A word of advice to liberals who wish to pay tribute to Ted Kennedy: don't mention his name in the same sentence as the word "bridge" since it will undermine whatever else you wrote. Unfortunately for Alec Baldwin, that is exactly what he did in his Huffington Post tribute to the deceased senator: Don't name a bridge after Ted. Yes, Baldwin did write a lot more about Ted Kennedy in his tribute but that one sentence alone pretty much overwhelms whatever else he wrote. However, to be fair to Alec, let us look at some of the rest of his...

AL KHIDR — After 25 years of neglect, this community with a population of 50,000 has received a boost to its quality of life with the opening of a new covered pedestrian bridge. The bridge, spanning the Euphrates River and linking both sides of this city in Muthanna province, was dedicated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Aug. 18. The construction of the $360,000, 132-meter long bridge was managed by the South District of the Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers here. “This bridge will provide a critical service to Al Khidr residents who suffered for a long time from...

Iranian dissidents blow up bridge in protest at President Ahmadinejad's second term By Con Coughlin : August 3rd, 2009 As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sworn in for his second term in office today, Iranian opposition groups have intensified their attacks against the regime in protest at the controversial election result. In the latest incident, a leading opposition group is being blamed for blowing up a key railway bridge at Ahwaz in southern Iran. The bridge, which is used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to transport military supplies, was destroyed in the early hours of Saturday morning. According to reports now...

Yes, this slug of a human being actually called Sam Alito "Alioto" during his confirmation. He didn't succeed in killing the nomination but 40 years ago did succeed in killing Mary Jo. MIDI - BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (musical intro) Alioto, you will be grilled Before we're done with you, we'll have had our fill You racist scum, we'll certainly be exposing you So I am warning you There's a bridge off of which I'll drive you if you don't withdraw There's a bridge off of which I'll drive you if you don't withdraw I failed lifeguard class...you know that...

THE WIDER VIEW: Taking shape, the new bridge at the Hoover Dam 04th July 2009 Creeping closer inch by inch – 900ft above the mighty Colorado River – the two sides of a £160million bridge at the Hoover Dam in America slowly take shape. The bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can be seen twisting and winding around and across the dam itself. When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona. In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be...

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division completed Al Swaib Bridge, southeast of Al Qurnah, June 29. The completion provides the region an increased capability in traffic, thereby enhancing security and trade. Photo courtesy of 4th Infantry Division. BASRAH — The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division completed a key bridge project southeast of Al Qurnah, June 29, increasing traffic flow and enhancing security and trade. The Swaib Bridge project cost more than $122,000 and included the removal of worn asphalt, fabrication and installation of 22 decking panels, replacement of side barrier posts and the construction of guide...

Just caught the nd of a phone interview on CNN.. A woman from Tehran was describing going to a protest today in front of Parlement, and the protesters were ambushed by Basiji streaming out of a masque, who bwgan massacring the protesters, beating them to death, shooting them..Still on now..the woman is crying as she begs us for help!

BAGHDAD, June 10, 2009 – Traffic is moving again across Anbar province’s strategic and essential Mujarrah Canal Bridge, about 22 miles southwest of Fallujah. Damage from a 2007 vehicle bomb is evident on the Mujarrah Canal Bridge in Iraq’s Anbar province as viewed from the east side of the canal before a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to restore it. The bridge reopened June 8, 2009. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The bridge officially reopened June 8 after a $1.26 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Gulf Region Central District project to restore it....

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. — The ladies in the card room are playing bridge, and at their age the game is no hobby. It is a way of life, a daily comfort and challenge, the last communal campfire before all goes dark. “We play for blood,” says Ruth Cummins, 92, before taking a sip of Red Bull at a recent game. “It’s what keeps us going,” adds Georgia Scott, 99. “It’s where our closest friends are.” In recent years scientists have become intensely interested in what could be called a super memory club — the fewer than one in 200 of...

STUART, Fla. (CNN) -- The most expensive item on Florida's list of economic stimulus projects is drawing fire from some residents and at least one public official, all questioning whether it's needed at all. The proposed $128 million Indian Street Bridge across the St. Lucie River has been debated in Martin County, Florida, for more than 20 years. But now that it has been cleared to receive money from the federal government's nearly $800 billion economic stimulus effort, the debate may be over. Critics say the span, which will connect the communities of Palm City and Stuart, is wasteful because...

Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said bridge repair would cost $4 million and take two years. Hawaii residents complete for free.A bridge was damaged on the island of Kauai by flooding. The Hawaii state Department of Land and Natural Resources told residents it would cost $4 million and take two years to come up this the money. The residents completed the repair with donated materials and labor in only eight days. This is a great example of government bureaucracy vs. private sector initiative.

It seemed that Joe Biden had found the perfect example of a "shovel-ready" stimulus project. The 79-year-old bridge over the Conodoguinet Creek in North Middleton Township, Pennsylvania had rotted steel, crumbling concrete, and visible holes. So Biden went to Pennsylvania the week before the stimulus was signed into law to adopt the bridge as the poster-project for the bill.

During a change of venue hearing Thursday, the father accused of throwing his four children off the Dauphin Island Bridge pleaded guilty to capital murder.

BASRAH — Provincial government officials and Coalition partners laid the first batch of cement for a new bridge crossing the Shatt al Arab River here, Feb. 7. The new Tannumah Bridge will link Downtown Basrah with the eastern neighborhood of Tannumah. “This will open a huge gate into the economy of Basrah,” said Sayeed Najem Mutarif, the Provincial Council community reconstruction chairman. “It will help increase trade into Basrah and all of Iraq.” “Every time I pass the old bridges, it hurts me to see them in the state they are in,” said Basrah Governor Mohamad El Wa'eli. “A country...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2009 – More than 100 Afghans and Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new $180,000 Bakshi Khiel Bridge in the Rokha district of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province Jan. 26. Rokha district villagers in Afghanistan’s Panjshir province gather early at the Bakshi Khiel Bridge in Panjshir Valley to celebrate the bridge’s grand opening, Jan. 26, 2009. A flash flood destroyed the previous bridge in mid-2007. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. On June 27, 2007, a flash flood ravaged parts of the district, destroying the previous bridge and killing 20...

Local shaykhs and an Iraqi Soldier discuss the future of the area after a bridge reopening ceremony in Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, Jan. 18, 2009. The bridge crosses the Salty River, joining two halves of the Mamour Tribe. Photo by Spc. Jamie Vernon, 1st Armored Division. BAGHDAD — Leaders from the Iraqi Army, local shaykhs and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers participated in a bridge reopening ceremony in Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, Jan. 18. The improvement in security and reduction in sectarian violence made it possible to reopen the bridge which had separated a tribal community. The reopening also returns...

BAGHDAD – Leaders from the 55th Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division, local Sheiks and Task Force Thunder, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad participated in a bridge reopening ceremony Jan. 18 in Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad. The improvement in security and reduction in sectarian violence made it possible to reopen the bridge which had separated a tribal community. The reopening also returns the area to a sense of normalcy. Iraqi Col. Rasheed, commander of the 55th Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division, discussed how important the bridge over the Salty...

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces, local leaders and Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers participated in a ground breaking ceremony marking the widening of the Bawi Canal Jan.18 in the Salman Pak region, southeast of Baghdad. The ceremony is one of a series of ground breaking projects to improve the infrastructure of the Mada’in and Marquez Qadas to improve the quality of live for the citizens. Maj. Jason Joose, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad executive officer, welcomed Iraqi Army Brig. Gen. Hussein, 45th Brigade Iraqi Army commander, Shaykh Qais, Mada’in tribal...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 2, 2009 – Afghan leaders and coalition members celebrated the opening of a bridge in Uruzgon province that promises residents a vibrant new connection to surrounding communities. Afghan villagers walk across the Chutu Bridge to mark its opening in Deh Rawood district, Uruzgon province, Dec. 30, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. John Gay  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. More than 250 people attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Chutu Brige in the Deh Rawood district for what officials say was the largest construction project in the area for 2008. Afghan construction workers and...

This year for Christmas I decided to build something out of gingerbread. I didn't want to build the typical gingerbread house so I decided to do a bridge of some sort.

Is it just me or do the words Kennedy and bridge conjure up images of Ted Kennedy going off one at Chappaquiddick? And honestly, don't we have enough landmarks named after JFK and RFK already? Apparently not.Several generations of Robert F. Kennedy's family have gathered for a ceremony renaming New York City's Triborough Bridge in honor of the slain senator and U.S. attorney general.Kennedy's wife, Ethel, sons Joseph and Robert Jr., and daughter Kerry were joined Wednesday by dignitaries — including former President Bill Clinton — in a Queens park at the foot of the bridge.Kennedy was assassinated in 1968...

WASHINGTON — The Interstate 35W bridge collapsed because of forces so great a massive piece of steel was stretched as if it were latex, eventually ripping apart and causing one of the biggest transportation disasters in U.S. history. Holding the first of a two-day hearing before it releases final findings and recommendations, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday the collapse in Minneapolis was caused by a fatal design error. The error allowed an accumulation of weight added to the bridge over its 40-year lifespan — plus the weight associated with a new construction project — to finally topple it,...

BAGHDAD, Nov. 12, 2008 – Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, attended a bridge reopening ceremony in northwestern Baghdad’s Kadhamiyah district yesterday. Northwestern Baghdad’s Al Aima Bridge, which has been closed since a deadly stampede in 2005, reopened in northwestern Baghdad’s Kadhamiyah district Nov. 11, 2008, as a result of the combined efforts of local leaders and Iraqi and coalition forces. U.S. Army photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Al Aima Bridge had been closed since 2005 when a deadly stampede...

California faces a massive deficit even higher than projected in recent weeks - $11.2 billion this fiscal year -- Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said Wednesday. Without immediate intervention, the nightmare could total an additional $13 billion next fiscal year, according to Perata, citing numbers he said came from the governor's office. The Oakland Democrat said the budget gap cannot be bridged by cuts alone, and that he supports raising revenues by restoring vehicle license fees and taxing offshore oil production. Together, the two tax proposals would generate about $7 billion per year - though considerably less in the...

Golden Gate Bridge officials vote for suicide net SAN FRANCISCO — Golden Gate Bridge officials have voted to hang a stainless steel net below the iconic span to stop suicides. The Golden Gate Transportation District's board of directors voted 14-1...

Governor Pawlenty and other officials announced Monday when the new Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis will open. The bridge will open to traffic on Thursday at 5 a.m., just over a year after the old one tragically collapsed into the Mississippi River and cut off a key Minneapolis artery. Pawlenty was joined on Monday at a news conference on the new bridge by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and members of Minnesota's congressional delegation. Officials also announced plans for a memorial to honor the victims of the August 1st, 2007, collapse of the old I-35W bridge that killed 13 people and...

Here is former aide to Gov. Sarah Palin, Meg Stapleton, explaining to CNN's Wolf Blitzer the reality of Gov. Palin's role in killing the so-called, "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska. Democrats are claiming Gov. Plain is lying about her role in killing the project, saying she actually favored it. Stapleton explains that Gov. Palin at first supported the concept of a Bridge to the residents of the area in need, but once she became Governor and learned the final plans for the Bridge and the massive nature of it's cost, she made the decision to kill the project. Clearly, Wolf...

There've been lots of thing written the past couple days about Palin's alleged flip-flop on the Gravina Island and Knik Arm Bridges (aka, Bridges to Nowhere). The Wikipedia articles, like most, need to be read with a grain of salt, but there are a number of sources listed and a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravina_Island_Bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knik_Arm_Bridge Let's summarize the salient points about the Bs2N and how it affects Palin's candidacy: 1) Palin did support the bridge projects when running for governor. No controversy there; it's well known and was a point, albeit a minor one, in the gubernatorial campaign. The...

Local residents and Iraqi government officials celebrated the opening of a bridge Aug. 28, 2008, uniting the cities of Najaf and Kufa, south of Baghdad. Among those officials attending was Iraq Vice President Adil Abdal-Mahdi who said the project shows the government’s commitment to improve people’s lives. USACE photo. KUFA --- During the recent opening ceremony of a new bridge south of Baghdad, Iraq's vice president said the $6.5 million project shows the Iraqi government's commitment to improving people’s lives in poorer areas that were ignored by the former regime. "Projects such as the new Imam Ali Bridge will help...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Aug. 27, 2008 – Members of the Australian Reconstruction Task Force and Task Force Castle’s 420th Engineer Brigade completed the emplacement of two Mabey Johnson bridges near Andar and Moqur in eastern Afghanistan. Army Spc. Corey Thompson, 420th Engineer Brigade, works with Australian combat engineers as they align two sections of a bridge. U.S. Army photo by Capt. James Reid, Combined Task Force Castle  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Insurgent attacks during the summer left the bridges impassible, forcing Afghans and coalition forces to use single-lane bypasses. Work progressed quickly once the Australian and American...

FALLUJAH — Iraqi Army Soldiers, operating in an area shared by Regimental Combat Team 1, escorted local sheiks and tribal leaders across a newly constructed bridge in the Bagharra region of Iraq, Aug. 19. The passage marked the re-opening of the Salem Bridge, an important link in connecting local citizens with cities on the other side of the Thar Thar Canal. Insurgents had demolished the original bridge with improvised explosive devices more than a year ago, forcing locals to travel nearly five hours to cross the canal. “Before this bridge opened, the people were suffering,” said 2nd Lt. Nasser Kazzoy,...

Pentagon Makes Fighting Extremism Top Priority Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Pentagon on Thursday officially named "the long war" against global extremism as its top priority and pledged to avert any conventional military threat from China or Russia through dialogue. The Defense Department, in a new national defense strategy, also emphasized the need to subordinate military operations to "soft power" initiatives to undermine Islamist militancy by promoting economic, political and social development in vulnerable corners of the world. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he hoped the change would help establish permanent institutional support for counterinsurgency skills...

ALBANY - Warning of an approaching economic calamity, Gov. Paterson yesterday called an emergency session of the state Legislature - and raised the specter that New York may have to sell off roads, bridges and tunnels to close a massive budget deficit.

The fallen span of the southbound lane on the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji, northwest of Baghdad, floats in the water underneath the bridge. The damage was caused by a vehicle-born improvised explosive device which was detonated on August 14, 2007. Photo by Pfc. Lyndsey Dransfield, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division. CAMP TAJI — Engineers with 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,� 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, journeyed to the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, July 22, to monitor repair progress. The bridge, which spans a portion of the Grand Canal and is...

Al-Qaeda Draws New Recruits Via Internet Al-Qaeda is using the Internet to recruit vulnerable young people to its terrorist network, according to a programme aired on Saudi Arabian TV late on Tuesday. Umm Osama, the founder of al-Qaeda's first women-only website, al-Khansa, joined several others on the programme to discuss how they renounced jihadist ideology. Among those who sought a response to this question was an imam from the Medina mosque, Saleh Ibn Awad al-Mudamsi, and the father of a young al-Qaeda suspect held in an Iraqi prison. Read More Qaeda Targets U.S. Oil Interests in North Africa U.S....

Old photos of the Interstate 35W bridge show two steel connecting plates were visibly bent as early as 2003 — four years before the span collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people. Minnesota Department of Transportation officials declined to say when the state first knew about the bending in the pieces of steel, called gusset plates. Two photos, part of a report issued earlier this month by the National Transportation Safety Board, reveal slight bends in gusset plates that hold beams together at two separate connecting points. The plates are in areas believed to be among the first points...

Rotting holes in steel support beams, enormous rust patches, small splits in steel girders and broken bracing are evident all along the underside of the John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge, the heavily traveled Interstate 95 span that crosses the Merrimack River between Amesbury and Newburyport. A just-released state safety report filed in the wake of last year's disastrous collapse of the similarly designed Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis gave the 57-year-old Whittier Bridge "poor" ratings due to deterioration. On a 10-step ranking system, the rating is just two steps above the point where engineers consider closing a bridge due to safety...

At 6:05 p.m. on Aug. 1, silence will fall along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. And those standing along the river's banks will remember that at that moment one year ago, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people and injuring hundreds of others. A prayer service on Aug. 1 at the Basilica of St. Mary followed by an outdoor memorial service at Gold Medal Park on the Mississippi River will mark the first anniversary of the bridge collapse. "It was one of the worst days that I will ever be part of that ironically showed...