WI - 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapses!

[Buzz Mills]

The NTSB seems to be focusing on the construction site, with all the heavy equipment, and the trucks that were parked on the bridge, loaded with resurfacing material--it looked like some type of (red ???)_, a lot of it was also dumped on the bridge. They also said there were reports that the bridge was showing signs of instability (rumbling vibrations) as they were removing surface materials during the construction work, and it had gotten worse, as more material was removed..

Now they are saying the rumbling vibrations were a wobbling of the bridge in the days prior to the collapse.

 

[JBean]

4.0 earthquake, mine collapsed an hour? later. Six men trapped.

ok I started a thread...sorry for the OT.
I have to turn off my radio so I can get some work done.

 

[Laneymae]

Is my understanding correct that there are submerged vehicles with license plates that do not match any of the missing, dead or survivors?

Can anyone confirm this. Sorry if I have missed it in the thread, I am at work and am just trying to skim from time to time.
thanks.

Hey JBean, I was able to get a little info on the news about the licencse plates. It doesn't give much info, just a sentence or two.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1186066382843&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

snip~"Investigators have names that have not been connected to the bridge, and divers and recovery workers have found license plate numbers that do not belong to an identified missing person or survivor, authorities said".

They don't say if they are loose license plates or plates attached to cars. I know there is a lot of debris in the Mississippi, so maybe the license plates are old.

Cheko1: I hadn't heard that if someone can't prove a family member was on the bridge, LE is totally discounting they were on it. I'll check some of the local radio and tv stations websites.

Sounds like law enforcement knows exactly who is missing, but they can't discount those license plates numbers until they have checked them out, I would think.

 

[NanaMcZoo]

Just recieved these links from a friend there...for anyone wishing to help in whatever capacity.

http://www.mplsfoundation.org/mnhelps/bridgedisasterfund.htm


http://www.minnesotahelps.org/







http://southernsassoncrime.com/

 

[cheko1]

snip~"Investigators have names that have not been connected to the bridge, and divers and recovery workers have found license plate numbers that do not belong to an identified missing person or survivor, authorities said".

They don't say if they are loose license plates or plates attached to cars. I know there is a lot of debris in the Mississippi, so maybe the license plates are old.

Cheko1: I hadn't heard that if someone can't prove a family member was on the bridge, LE is totally discounting they were on it. I'll check some of the local radio and tv stations websites.

Sounds like law enforcement knows exactly who is missing, but they can't discount those license plates numbers until they have checked them out, I would think.

Investigators have names that have not been connected to the bridge

That is what the radio announcer on a morning talk show said, he stated he'd heard that if you couldn't prove a family member was on the bridge LE disregarded it.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Minn. fast-tracks bridge replacement

MINNEAPOLIS - A plan to replace the bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River last week is on the fastest of fast tracks: State officials want the span open by the end of next year, and contractors interested in the job must contact the state by dawn Wednesday. State officials have an ambitious schedule to award contracts to replace the bridge next month, even as search crews remained stymied in their efforts to recover at least eight missing victims from the depths of the Mississippi River. Five people are confirmed dead.

A brutal winter could throw the state's rapid reconstruction schedule off. But other conditions are favorable — including a construction industry with plenty of available resources to take on such a daunting challenge. "It is doable. It is a bit fast, but this is an emergency," said Khaled Mahmoud with the Bridge Engineering Association in New York. "And if we are ever good at anything, it's responding to emergencies."

It took only seconds Wednesday night for the eight-lane, 1,900-foot steel truss Interstate 35W bridge, which opened in 1967, to collapse. Three days later, the state had already begun looking for companies interested in erecting a new bridge in just 16 months. Erecting a new bridge like Minneapolis' would ordinarily take about three years, even if the design and building phases were overlapped to save time, said Bill Cox, owner of Corman Construction Inc. in Annapolis Junction, Md., a road and bridge construction firm.

Teams of designers and builders are racing to meet the first hurdle, showing they are qualified to bid, said Dick Stehly of American Engineering Testing of St. Paul, which is seeking a role in soil engineering and quality control.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070806/ap_on_re_us/bridge_collapse

 

[panthera]

Hi All - I live in Minnesota just about 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, I have driven over that bridge more times then I can count, it is such a sad tragic event, it breaks my heart.

This was sent to me by a customer of mine- still hard to even image this is real.

The website is in Russian, amazing how far around the world this has reached. Because this is a Russian site, you can't read it...but the pictures are the best I have see so far....when you open the site, scroll down....there are a few that are aerial views of the collapse

[URL="http://drugoi.livejournal.com/2280005.html"]http://drugoi.livejournal.com/2280005.html[/URL]

WOW! Thanks so much for finding that site! I notice the photos are taken by the Star-Tribune though but didn't see all of them posted there.

 

[panthera]

You're welcome - I was totally amazed when I saw them, it was hard to piece it all together and those pictures really show you the complete devastation.

I have wanted to go down and see the bridge first hand, but I have changed my mind for right now. One of our vendors plants is located right next to the bridge, their employee's were on break when they saw a huge street sign fall to the ground, heard a loud rumble and then the bridge collapsed. They ran inside and grabbed everyone and ran to help rescue people. They helped a handicap man our of a mini-van.....as I was looking at the pictures from he Russian website I see a blue mini-van with a ramp out the side door.....Hmmm I wonder if that was the man?



Here are 2 more pictures that my vendor took out of their back doors.

Yes that was the blue mini-van that the paraplegic man who we've seen interviewed on tv was in. Thanks for the additional photos! It's so nice to see clear still shots to look at instead of video.

 

[cheko1]

Probe to see if construction played role

MINNEAPOLIS - Trucks, loaders and paving equipment rumbled onto the Interstate 35W bridge in mid-June as Progressive Contractors Inc. began a $2.4 million project to repair sections of the heavily traveled highway.As tens of thousands of cars zoomed by every day, Progressive's workers pounded away at the road surface with jackhammers, cut loose pavement with industrial-strength saws, and mixed and poured concrete.

The bridge collapsed Wednesday toward the end of a shift, taking Progressive's 18-person crew with it. One worker is feared dead. For now, the contruction project is only one item on a long list of possible causes that also includes aging steel, rotting welds, vibrations from adjacent train tracks and even the corrosive effects of bird droppings. But the company's work on the structure has become a crucial early part of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

On Sunday, the NTSB said it had interviewed company officials and workers and was analyzing construction and maintenance documents. Employees of Progressive, based in St. Michael, Minn., have helped investigators map out the locations of its equipment, vehicles and materials at the time of the accident, and how much each piece weighed. The company's work at the time was concentrated on a section of bridge over the river toward the southern end, said NTSB chairman Mark Rosenker.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070805/ap_on_re_us/bridge_collapse_contractorhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070805/ap_on_re_us/bridge_collapse_contractor

Buzz tonight on KSTP news they stated PCI the construction company also had very large trucks with many tons of gravel in them & had also taken out large patches of concrete.

I stated earlier my son said there was at least 6 workers using jack hammers when he crossed it. He also said there were many piles of sand on the bridge. Thats probably what the big piles of brown stuff we seen in pictures. He said it looked very wet, which would of added to the bridge weight.
Very interesting article. Thanks for posting......

 

[Buzz Mills]

Buzz tonight on KSTP news they stated PCI the construction company also had very large trucks with many tons of gravel in them & had also taken out large patches of concrete.

I stated earlier my son said there was at least 6 workers using jack hammers when he crossed it. He also said there were many piles of sand on the bridge. Thats probably what the big piles of brown stuff we seen in pictures. He said it looked very wet, which would of added to the bridge weight.
Very interesting article. Thanks for posting......

You know, cheko, I mentioned all of that construction equipment gathered together near what I thought was the point of failure, and everytime I got a better look at how much of it there was, it looked more, and more, suspect, especially when they began to show all of the material strewn about, and much of it, still in the trucks. Then yesterday and today, they began talking about the construction crew mentioning an increasing vibration (wobbling) as they rermoved more material from the roadbed. It's beginning to point more and more towards the resurfacing construction being directly involved in the failure of an already weakened stucture. There was a lot of weight, from the construction equipment, in a specific area of the bridge, with surface material being removed, causing increasing wobbling. It all sounds more, and more, like a recipe for a disaster in the making.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Investigators have names that have not been connected to the bridge

That is what the radio announcer on a morning talk show said, he stated he'd heard that if you couldn't prove a family member was on the bridge LE disregarded it.

I think anyone missing that could have been in the vicinity could easily be a victim, and could be buried under the debris.

 

[cheko1]

You know, cheko, I mentioned all of that construction equipment gathered together near what I thought was the point of failure, and everytime I got a better look at how much of it there was, it looked more, and more, suspect, especially when they began to show all of the material strewn about, and much of it, still in the trucks. Then yesterday and today, they began talking about the construction crew mentioning an increasing vibration (wobbling) as they rermoved more material from the roadbed. It's beginning to point more and more towards the resurfacing construction being directly involved in the failure of an already weakened stucture. There was a lot of weight, from the construction equipment, in a specific area of the bridge, with surface material being removed, causing increasing wobbling. It all sounds more, and more, like a recipe for a disaster in the making.

Buzz,
They mentioned the construction crew stated the bridge had been wobbling for as long as a week. Considering they had 4 lanes shut down, working on all 4 lanes / it was a disaster in the making.

The Engineers should of been called in immediately as the wobbling increased. I'm sure the workers will be blamed but they were doing there job. Removing as much material as they were a Engineer should of been there at all times to deem if the bridge was safe or not & shut it down.

 

[cheko1]

I think anyone missing that could have been in the vicinity could easily be a victim, and could be buried under the debris.

I totally agree with you Buzz. I am very happy the death toll is at a very minimum. The First Reponders, LE, any others & people on the scene did a awesome job.

Did you hear that 1 woman who is in critical condition was pregnant & they took the baby cesarian yesterday & the baby is doing very well.:clap:

 

[Buzz Mills]

I totally agree with you Buzz. I am very happy the death toll is at a very minimum. The First Reponders, LE, any others & people on the scene did a awesome job.

Did you hear that 1 woman who is in critical condition was pregnant & they took the baby cesarian yesterday & the baby is doing very well.:clap:

Thanks for that piece of information cheko1; that's wonderful news about the baby; I'll be praying for the mother.

 

[cheko1]

Thanks for that piece of information cheko1; that's wonderful news about the baby; I'll be praying for the mother.

Your welcome Buzz! I also am praying for her. So sad......

 

[dark_shadows]

Car Pulled From Wreckage Left by Minneapolis Bridge Collapse, but No Bodies Found

Mystery Vehicle Recovered From Mississippi River After Minneapolis Bridge Collapse



Respectfully,
dark_shadows

 

[Buzz Mills]

NAFTA Superhighway traffic tied to bridge collapse

WND uncovers federal study warning of high risk in 1998

Evidence of increasing international trade truck traffic on Interstate 35 through Minnesota raises concerns that NAFTA Superhighway traffic contributed to last week's collapse of the freeway bridge in Minneapolis. WND has unearthed a Federal Highway Administration report dating back to 1998 that warned increasing NAFTA truck traffic was expected to create a safety concern with bridges in states along the I-35 NAFTA Superhighway, including Minnesota.

The study concluded that, "The I-35 Corridor's multimodal transportation hubs – where air, rail, river, and truck cargo converge – make I-35 ideally positioned to be a major route for what is expected to be increasing levels of international trade activity." The study warned that, "Over the next few decades, about 65 percent of I-35 will require major upgrades, however the entire route will have a continued need for rehabilitating pavements, resurfacing sections of the highway, and providing replacements of some bridge decks. Bridge substructures and superstructures will also need to be maintained, requiring repairs to maintain the integrity of the bridges."

The FHWA study was conducted in conjunction with the Departments of Transportation in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, and assessed I-35 from Laredo, Texas, to Duluth, Minn. A comprehensive study of freight traffic conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, or FHWA, shows conclusively a large percentage of the freight carried through Minnesota is carried by truck. FHWA data show that in 2002, a total of 280.7 million tons of freight moved through Minnesota, 86 percent of which was carried by truck.

The trend line shows dramatic increases projected, with freight traffic through Minnesota expected to double by 2035, to a total of 551.5 million tons, of which 88 percent will be carried by truck. The bridge collapsed at rush hour, with an estimated 100-150 cars and trucks on the structure in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Officials in Minnesota had been warned since 1990 that the bridge was "structurally deficient" and severely fatigued from the increasing volume of traffic the bridge, which spans the Mississippi River along Interstate 35, was receiving.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57017

 

[panthera]

NAFTA Superhighway traffic tied to bridge collapse



The trend line shows dramatic increases projected, with freight traffic through Minnesota expected to double by 2035, to a total of 551.5 million tons, of which 88 percent will be carried by truck. The bridge collapsed at rush hour, with an estimated 100-150 cars and trucks on the structure in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Officials in Minnesota had been warned since 1990 that the bridge was "structurally deficient" and severely fatigued from the increasing volume of traffic the bridge, which spans the Mississippi River along Interstate 35, was receiving.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57017

thanks for the article, Buzz I'm questioning the estimated amount of vehicles on the bridge at the time of the collapse though. I didn't think it was that high based on the number of people missing and estimated number of cars still in the river, and the number of cars on the bridge ~ but I do agree the increase in truck traffic (plus the heavy trucks doing the construction/repaving) could've played a big part in the collapse.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Car Pulled From Wreckage Left by Minneapolis Bridge Collapse, but No Bodies Found

Mystery Vehicle Recovered From Mississippi River After Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

The title of the article, re: "Mystery Car" is misleading. The way I read it is, the known missing victim(s) who were in that car, haven't yet been located. I saw the recovered car on the barge, covered by a tarp; the vehicle would be identifiable if we knew the types of vehicle each of the known eight victims was driving.

 

[cheko1]

Not certain this link will work.
I heard about this on KQRS this morning.
It is such a sad story. This guy named Micheal Stoner & his girlfriend Crystal Manning were on the way to the hospital to see her 2 yr old daughter who is in critical condition from faling down steps, when they plunged into the river.

Fact is CarrotTop Micheal Stoner will probably be charged with abuse. Little Emmaline had a severe burn & human bite marks on her body. He is in jail now.......her Mom don't buy the fact her bf would hurt her.........

Like yeah right we've seen & heard of this type before huh???



http:Kare11News.com Man called hero may face charges