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Cruiser
Posts: 82
| The new I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis opened this morning. It's an impressive structure, and its construction – taking just 13 months since the previous bridge collapsed on August 1, 2007 – was remarkable. Crews worked virtually around the clock to build a replacement to the bridge whose collapse took 13 lives, caused numerous injuries and forever changed the lives of many, many more people who will never receive just compensation.
Thankfully, the opening of the new bridge was relatively low-key rather than marked with any hoopla or grand speechmaking. Oh, sure, the politicians hurt their arms patting themselves on the back Monday morning as they gathered to announce the bridge would open today. But the politicos were absent today when state patrol vehicles led traffic across the span at 5 a.m.
Excuse the editorializing, but any credit-taking or grandstanding would have been totally inappropriate. The bridge never should have fallen in the first place, and those lives should not have been lost or scarred forever, so there was no real cause for celebrating the new structure. A bridge fell unnecessarily, it was replaced quickly, and now it's time to move on – making sure it doesn't happen again.
There's an excellent article about the bridge collapse and rebuilding here:
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/09/16/3529/new_i-35w_bridge_el...
And you can more and see live-cam shots of the bridge here:
http://www.startribune.com/
I rode a Victory Vision Street across the bridge at noon and shot these photos, which are being posted exclusively on Vision-Riders until they can go live on the VRA Page of the Victory website:
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge1.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge2.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge3.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge4.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge5.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge6.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge7.jpg
(Anal detail note: I-35 splits just south of the Twin Cities, and this is the western arm, thus its I-35W label. I-35W and I-35E reunite north of the Twin Cities en route to Duluth.)
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Fountain Inn, SC United States | Nice Mike! So can we pretty much say you were the first Vision to cross the bridge? The first Victory maybe?
Minneapolis has a picturesque skyline.
Thanks for posting to Vision-Riders!
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
| Scribe - 2008-09-18 3:34 PM
The new I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis opened this morning. It's an impressive structure, and its construction – taking just 13 months since the previous bridge collapsed on August 1, 2007 – was remarkable. Crews worked virtually around the clock to build a replacement to the bridge whose collapse took 13 lives, caused numerous injuries and forever changed the lives of many, many more people who will never receive just compensation.
Thankfully, the opening of the new bridge was relatively low-key rather than marked with any hoopla or grand speechmaking. Oh, sure, the politicians hurt their arms patting themselves on the back Monday morning as they gathered to announce the bridge would open today. But the politicos were absent today when state patrol vehicles led traffic across the span at 5 a.m.
Excuse the editorializing, but any credit-taking or grandstanding would have been totally inappropriate. The bridge never should have fallen in the first place, and those lives should not have been lost or scarred forever, so there was no real cause for celebrating the new structure. A bridge fell unnecessarily, it was replaced quickly, and now it's time to move on – making sure it doesn't happen again.
There's an excellent article about the bridge collapse and rebuilding here:
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/09/16/3529/new_i-35w_bridge_el...
And you can more and see live-cam shots of the bridge here:
http://www.startribune.com/
I rode a Victory Vision Street across the bridge at noon and shot these photos, which are being posted exclusively on Vision-Riders until they can go live on the VRA Page of the Victory website:
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge1.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge2.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge3.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge4.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge5.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge6.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/Bridge7.jpg
(Anal detail note: I-35 splits just south of the Twin Cities, and this is the western arm, thus its I-35W label. I-35W and I-35E reunite north of the Twin Cities en route to Duluth.)
I can't see the anger toward the politicians, I really can't. I'm quite sure they were heart-broken and totally dismayed to see such an event happen, not just in their state, but anywhere.
I think the contractors did one hell of a job in coming in three months ahead of time, and from what I know of your governor, he's not the type to grandize nor to pat himself on the back.
My prayers went out and still go to the families who lost so much, but I'm also thankful when I look at the carnage that more folks were not injured or killed.
That was by the grace of God.
Edited by Smitty 2008-09-18 8:21 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 82
| I drag politicians into it because the entire bridge matter has been highly political. It's not simply party vs. party, because governors from three parties (including independent Jesse Ventura) have held office in Minnesota and resisted raising gas taxes or taking any other steps to increase funding for road work, bridge inspection and bridge repair. The bridge was a ticking bomb and it didn't matter who was in office when it fell.
Since the I-35W bridge collapse, state bridge inspection records have been opened, letting the public know how poorly rated some of the bridges they use daily really are. A bridge over the Mississippi in St. Cloud has been shut down and will be replaced; a bridge over the same river in Winona was closed briefly this summer and is now under repair with lane and load restrictions; a tremendously busy bridge in Hastings has been under extensive repair and would likely be replaced if funds were available.
Plus, look at the photo (see link). It's from the press conference last Monday, when the governor (shown speaking) announced the bridge opening date. There are 15 people behind him, including the Mayor of Minneapolis, both of our U.S. senators, at least one U.S. rep and a U.S. Dept. of Transportation rep.
While they snuggle in for a photo op, bridge collapse survivors were literally standing off to the side, some sobbing, several afraid to walk out onto the bridge or ever drive across it again. While no single speaker overtly grabbed credit for the bridge project, do they have to be such political lemmings that they line up this way? Couldn't one display enough grace to stand off to the side, to pass up the invitation to speak, to hold the hand of an adult survivor or one of the kids who was on the school bus that went down with the bridge?
Not in an election year, and not when your mug in a photo can be used in future campaign materials.
Apologies for the rant, and yes, thank god there was so little traffic on the bridge (construction had it limited to one lane each direction at the time). In normal rush hour traffic, hundreds of vehicles would have poured into the river.
So while the karma was good enough to limit the losses, bridges shouldn't be held up by karma. They should stand because their caretakers ensure that they are in shape to handle their traffic loads.
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/dapperco28/BridgePols2.jpg
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
| Here's a novel idea for you....
Make it a toll bridge and charge only those who use it instead of raising gas taxes all over the state. Put transponders on it for those who want to pay in advance.
You could do that with every major bridge in the state for that matter.
I'm tired of everyone having to pay for the few, and though I don't live in Minnesota, I do come through there about once a year and would be willing to pay for using it.
What's fair about someone living in Ely being charged extra taxes when they may never use the bridge.
And, what's wrong with government living within it's means?
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Cruiser
Posts: 72
Eden Prairie, MN | Polititians are elected by the citizens. Their performance is diretly related to the number of consituents that voice that contact them. Ask yourself, did I know the funds from my license fees and gasoline tax was being used for the general fund and not the maintenance of our tramsportation infrastructure. Then ask yourself how many times did I voice my opinion to the legislators.
Do you really blame the politicians and not accept some of the responsibilty your self. Why is it so important to assign blame? You are right we learned, but not because of an election year, we (they) learned and took action. Unfortunately, that is how how humans learn, The hard way. We argue forever about common sense but don't take action until tragedy happens.
I rode he bridge this morning it was beautiful, but most important , uneventful. That is the way Bridge crossings should be. But I need to remeber to tell my legoslators they need to keep it that way. Tell them to take highway taxes and spend them on highways and only high ways. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | My heart and prayers go out to the survivors and the family who lost a loved one that day. Albiet all the political and lack of inspections and so on, I recall that they had entirely too much gravel or whatever on that bridge the day of the collaspe. Though it was in need of repairs and was in the process of doing so, the contractor thought very little of the impact my staging all that stuff on the bridge. For some reason, even the reports left that little bit of information out. I think it was critical in the equation, because as it was mentioned, less traffic was on the bridge. If it was a stress waiting to happen it would have happened sooner. The bridge was over loaded with material and not cars causing it to give way. Anyway, I'm not an engineer or an expert but that part stood out like a sore thumb. | |
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New I-35W Bridge