BREAKING: 35W Bridge Collapses in Minneapoils

[clind 2]

Let's hope the death toll doesn't go any higher.

Though sadly, I believe it still will at this point.

[Vlad 276]

Let's hope the death toll doesn't go any higher.

 

I wish that it wouldn't go up as well, but unfortunately there are as many as 30 people missing right now, and many fear that they may be in the submerged murky waters and in between the mangled concrete and etc.. I really hope they pull through this, its just such a tough time for them right now. I just don't understand what is with this sudden bout of tragedies, but oh well.. Guess its just a nasty coincidence. My thoughts and prayers are with them in the twin cities, because it could've happened to any of us. And the bridge is only 40 years old, we have bridges here in New York that are much older, so again, its just a tragedy that we'll have to get through day by day. And it could've been any city, not just Minneapolis, it could've been New York, Chicago San Francisco, any of these cities, so again very surreal and tragic.

 

-Vlad

[kjohnson 15]

The state of Missouri has over 20 bridges of that type (truss) in the state. Most are in rural parts of the state.

 

The irony (no pun) here is that Cedar Ave. Bridge (immediately to the south of the I-35W) bridge is over double the age and rock solid. Here in St. Louis, the Eads Bridge was built in 1874, has MetroLink passing over every 15 minutes and has a road deck, and is strong as the day it was built.

 

Locally, the Govenors of Missouri and Illinois have ordered an immediate inspection of bridges.

 

St. Louis has recently had a problem similar to this when a 25 ton chunk of the Delor St. Bridge, which crosses Interstate 55, fell on the highway, nearly killing a driver back in March.

 

I hope this sends a warning to D.O.T.'s across the country to do more dilligent maintenance and inspections of all bridges.

[stevieboy247 42]

I think the same issues go with New York City regarding two bridges that recently failed tests. One of them including the famous Brooklyn Bridge (as far as I know).

[TrfRptr 3]

According to a WCBS report (by Lou Young) the two bridges that failed were, most notably, the Brooklyn Bridge which has a few joints and problems with the approaches (decks) but there is NO concern to motorist.

 

The second was a pedestrian bridge in Queens that went un-named but also poses NO threat to anyone.

 

I think we'll see a surplus in inspections of the next few years thanks to the spotlight of the Minnesota tragedy.

[NewzPimpin 1]

WPTY/WLMT here in Memphis doing something a little odd, they are doing rolling coverage on both of their channels and have been since shortly after the ABC special. Cameron Harper is anchoring. Not sure I see the point in it, there's no real local connection except of course that Memphis is also on the Mississippi River.

 

There kinda/sorta is. Back in 1989 (I was 9 years old) something similar happened not too far from Memphis when a bridge over the Hatchie River in Tipton County collapsed, killing 8 people, so I see why they chose to cover the Minneapolis collapse in that manner.

 

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6879890

[jestbiteme 13]

WPTY/WLMT here in Memphis doing something a little odd, they are doing rolling coverage on both of their channels and have been since shortly after the ABC special. Cameron Harper is anchoring. Not sure I see the point in it, there's no real local connection except of course that Memphis is also on the Mississippi River.

 

There kinda/sorta is. Back in 1989 (I was 9 years old) something similar happened not too far from Memphis when a bridge over the Hatchie River in Tipton County collapsed, killing 8 people, so I see why they chose to cover the Minneapolis collapse in that manner.

 

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6879890

 

It's got local appeal to anyone and everyone, because as someone already mentioned, we go across bridges everyday. I actually watched a cobbled-together special on The History Channel earlier this evening about bridge collapses... among them, the "silver" bridge in Point Pleasant, West Virginia (remember the movie The Mothman Prophecies?) which shares it's design and construction methods with the 5th Street bridge in Pittsburgh; the Seattle floating bridge, the Sunshine Skyway and of course, the Tacoma Narrows.

 

 

I was actually surprised at the amount of relatively recent (say 1980 or so) collapses that there have been. It makes you think. Not too long ago, we had an overpass here in Washington County collapse; it fell onto cars traveling on I70 below. The investigation that resulted from that found another bridge in the same city, over the same mile-or-so stretch of highway was in such a state of disrepair that it was shut down immediately and torn down. It's scary stuff.

 

(The History Channel special I was watching earlier today has some of it's content available online: http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=55377&mini_id=1335)

[Jterry 43]

WPTY/WLMT here in Memphis doing something a little odd, they are doing rolling coverage on both of their channels and have been since shortly after the ABC special. Cameron Harper is anchoring. Not sure I see the point in it, there's no real local connection except of course that Memphis is also on the Mississippi River.

 

There kinda/sorta is. Back in 1989 (I was 9 years old) something similar happened not too far from Memphis when a bridge over the Hatchie River in Tipton County collapsed, killing 8 people, so I see why they chose to cover the Minneapolis collapse in that manner.

 

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6879890

I did completely forget about that event until late last night, it does increase the local connection though still was a little odd to see how WPTY/WLMT went all out with it. In fact, they went all out even more Today, covered the entire A block during both evening newscasts, and much of it at 10. I believe they did 4 total local stories plus the national reports and other VOs, while everybody else did 2 local stories and then national stuff. They practically ignored some other important local stories going on Today, though this was still by far the big story everywhere. Ironically, WPTY was the only station not to do a story looking back at the 89 Hatchie River collapse, just had a short VO with some old Commercial Appeal (local newspaper) archives, WPTY the only station without a news department during that event.

[who?cares 253]

I have to commend the media, MSNBC, and CNN has done a exceptional job, i was even surprised to Katie Couric in Minneapolis.