Author Topic: The bridge collapse in Minneapolis (Read 3717 times)

Jman · « **on:** August 02, 2007, 06:25:58 PM »

Wow...just wow. I live about 30 miles Northwest of Minneapolis, and I first heard about this when I was in Idaho yesterday. This is just horrible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nerQhIyOwxM

A major bridge on I-35 collapsed in MInneapolis on wed. Seven are confirmed dead and the toll is expected to increase.

Wow...this doesn't happen everyday.

The Chef · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2007, 06:27:14 PM »

Sometimes I actually try to picture what it would be like to be on a bridge and suddenly have it collapse underneath you. I can't say I do that very often. :S

Kojinka · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2007, 06:43:21 PM »

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang :O

Jman · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2007, 07:23:05 PM »

There's tons of videos on Youtube about this. Search "Minnesota bridge collapse." This is probably the biggest disaster in the states since Katrina.

The Blue Toad · « **Reply #4 on:** August 02, 2007, 08:19:20 PM »

I, too, live in Minnesota. Right after this horrendous catastrophe, my relatives were calling the house like crazy, trying to obtain any information on my family's whereabouts. It just goes to show how unexpected an event this was. :(
To top off the befuddlement, this accident remains an unfathomable mystery. There really is no explanation as to why the bridge, forty years old, should suddenly come to ruins like it did (in case any of you are wondering, forty years is not considered an old age for such a structure). And while construction was being done upon it, it was strictly resurfacing, an operation that has a minute (to nonexistent) chance of causing the subject of work to collapse. Thus the enigma is being stubbornly chipped away while there are still numerous questions waiting for answers.

Until then, my prayers go out to the poor victims (those who are lost, and those who were fortunate enough to survive).

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #5 on:** August 02, 2007, 09:55:29 PM »

*Silent prayer for those lost*

bobman37 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2007, 09:59:39 PM »

Quote from: Jman on August 02, 2007, 07:23:05 PM

This is probably the biggest disaster in the states since Katrina.

Um what about VT?

Glorb · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2007, 09:15:53 AM »

I think Jman means natural disasters.

I saw some more footage earlier today, and it's worse than I thought earlier. There were huge fissures in the concrete, with cars (and chunks thereof) hanging off the edges. It looked like an earthquake had occured.

bobman37 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2007, 05:37:41 PM »

But the bridge falling wasn't a natural disaster, either. It happened because it was a faulty bridge and the state's highway maintenance system people didn't do anything about it beforehand.

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2007, 07:00:38 PM »

According to some report, most bridges are in terrible shape.

Jman · « **Reply #10 on:** August 03, 2007, 09:22:49 PM »

Well, it's like our governor said, "sometimes it takes a tragedy to become aware of these things."

(That's not a direct quote, that's just my memory of what he said.)

I just thank God that none of my friends were involved in this sad event.

The Blue Toad · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2007, 12:17:00 AM »

Quote from: Chupperson Weird on August 03, 2007, 07:00:38 PM

According to some report, most bridges are in terrible shape.

The bridge on 35W wasn't even ranked high on the list of national bridges needing improvement. It was somewhere in the middle.
There are so many more structures around this country that need repair. After this that should be evident.

Eric B. (Shnoogums) · « **Reply #12 on:** August 11, 2007, 01:58:55 PM »

Well, i can say that some similar incident happened 10 months ago (before the recent collapsing in Minneapolis) in a bridge far from my hometown. However, that one was less tragic than the one that happened in Minneapolis, but still a few lives were lost and some were injured as well.

This article explains it best. The bridge in question is actually an overpass and it's known as "De La Concorde" (i got no translation for that; sorry). Anyway, check it out and compare it to the recent bridge collapsing incident.

And to the lives that were lost, they got my sincere condolences. I only hope that they'll recover from this horrific tragedy.