I read an article in the Star Tribune the other morning that scared the hell out of me. This story was so unsettling it nearly ruined my breakfast experience (fortunately I was eating Honey Bunches of Oates, a cereal too delicious to be fully tainted).Apparently, they knew that the 35W Bridge wasn’t safe.
Beyond being unsafe, state bridge inspectors were warning Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) officials nearly 10 years ago that the bridge “had ‘severe’ and ‘extensive’ corrosion of its beams and trusses, ‘widespread cracking’ in spans and missing or broken bolts.”
In addition to the poor condition of the superstructure, “certain components were ‘beyond tolerable limits,’ and one of the bridge's piers had ‘tilted to the north.’”
Despite these serious concerns by bridge inspectors, Gov. Pawlenty defended the decisions made about the bridge, saying that “the earliest suggested date for replacement by MnDOT engineers had been 2020.” Basically, they were crossing their fingers and hoping. Please God, don’t let this thing collapse while we’re on the job. Yes, there were concerns year after year about the stability of the bridge, but not one official had the gonads to say “we need to fix this before something bad happens.”Ok, keep the bridge open. But the Star Trib also reports that starting in 2000, “inspectors urged the state to replace bolts in a specific area of the bridge, a job listed each year under ‘Immediate Maintenance Recommendations.’ And since 2004 the reports repeatedly cited fatigue cracking in two girders as another problem requiring immediate maintenance, possibly including measures to relieve stress.”
Why weren’t these concerns addressed?
We place our trust in elected officials that they are doing whatever necessary to ensure our safety. We can’t inspect bridges, nor can we build new bridges. As citizens who drive over these structures daily, we have a right to hold the people we elect and employ accountable for their failures. Failures which ultimately resulted in needless deaths.
Sort of makes me wonder what other daily dangers we face that they aren’t telling us about….
I’m not big into lawsuits; most of the time they stem from our excessive greed. But I imagine there will be many. I also image that some symbolic firings will take place as the public demands that heads roll. This doesn’t do much for me either. I guess I just expect that the only change will be an inexperienced, incompetent boob replacing a lackadaisical, incompetent boob.
But we the citizens must demand that our leaders do better. We must demand that the people we put in charge of protecting us (which has been much debated the last two days) are actually protecting us.
Or else give me the job. I’m sure I could manage to be an equally incorrigible, equally colossal ninny.
Thanks for reading.
5 comments:
I totally agree we need to hold our leaders accountable. The problem is that if they would have said go ahead with this project 2 or 5 or 10 years ago, can you imagine the public outcry?
People would be pissed saying it was a huge waste of millions and millions of dollars. All of the extra time commuting and finding alternate routes because they would have to tear the bridge down. (Basically all the things we are facing now with the aftermath but with the tables turned. But if they did it before there wouldn't be any federal funding.
I'm just saying it is such a double edged sword. If they would have decided to replace it in say... 2004, then everyone would say there is still at least 16 good years left because that is what MNDOT says, why replace it now?
Basically this is one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't.
In conclusion I'm not making any excuses for anyone. Needless lives were lost. I'm just saying I understand how tough the situation was.
On a side note. I absolutely love honey bunches of oats too! LIke one of my favorite cereals of all time!!!!!!!!!!
Good point P Corcs. It's most definitely a double edged sword, as you say. Imagine if they would've raised the gas tax to pay for a new bridge 5 years ago. They would've all been hanged and impeached (not necessarily in that order). So maybe we're the idiots for not being willing to pay an extra cent a gallon so we don't die on a bridge. Absolutely something to think about.
On another note, Honey Bunches of Oats are unbelievable. I'm glad we agree on that. I think my next poll will have to be favorite cereal.
One large problem (if you ask me) with political conservativism is the penny pinching mentality. It seems to me that many conservatives want to cut so much gov't spending, that they will forget things such as maintenance. I don't mean to make the bridge collapse a partisan issue. I am not saying that its the conservatives fault at all! Pcorcs comments just got me thinking about gov't spending. And not even conservatives, but just many of the voting public. They hear "lowered taxes" and think, "yay, more money for me." Not a completely foolish thought. But I think we need to allocate our money willingly for the causes that are necessary.
On another note, I really don't like lacsidaisical boobs...could choice of wording Zot!
Thanks for comin' to the show too buddy...
I think you are misunderstanding most conservatives. We want to be penny pinchers on gov. programs like free hand outs to people who don't deserve them (ex: like half of section 8 housing) and for idiots in the government that spend multi millions of dollars on things like walking paths in the boundry waters.
Conservatives are screaming to put money where it does matter...
things like our infrastruction which affects all people.
I know you didn't want to make this a partisan issue, but i always love a good political debate!
PS I wanted to come to your show late night, but i had volley ball then i had to get up at 530 this morning to come to work. It would have just gotten too late. I want to buy one of those CDs though!
Boys,
Looks like you have covered the comments pretty good on this posting. I didn't think about the effect it would have if they would have fixed the bridge several years ago, good point p corcs.
I guess this bridge collapsed for a reason. Now they can use this as leverage for other things that they need to fix. They will tell the complaining people who don't want to spend money, "Do you want another 35w bridge collapse?" My guess is that will make the people quiet.
Who knows. That does make me mad that those things were addressed and they new it was in bad condition. The thing is, it seems like that will happen with any major catastrophe. Look back at the Twin Tower episode. They went back through the records and said that there was a lot of exposed structural steel that did not have fire resistant material sprayed on, they had missed some spots and didn't do anything about it. They claim the buildings would not have collapsed so quickly. Again, it is hard to make those calls, but something should have been done. T
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