Major Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota... Many Injuries/Deaths Feared

Originally posted by Voxel
That is a perfectly normal weather front. What looks weird about it to you? Please, don't try to deflect blame away from the MnDoT by claiming crazy HARP theories. Some very important people are to blame for this and most likely they will cover it up, blame the construction company, and get reelected to another term.

Jon

[edit on 8.1.2007 by Voxel]

I wasnt trying to start anything but get an opinion to a possiblity of wierdness. It looked normal when you saw maybe.. when i did it looked very odd. Like holes being shot into the atmosphere. did the rain avoid the bridge area?

Except for the fact that I'm not actually joking.
Look at all the lucky coincidences. It is a tragedy, however, it could have been a lot worse. The schoolbus didn't fall by a split second, the Red Cross was located so close near by, only two lanes were open.

Maybe if you knew more about the mothman and coincidences like this, you wouldn't be so quick to make accusations.

Did you listen to the people saying "I could have been on that bridge. I decided not to, for some reason"?

I'm not insulting anyone. I'm wondering if someone will come forward as an eyewitness, or more people will come forward with vivid dreams of bridge collapses.

Now being called the worst bridge collapse in US history with regards to damage, not injury or death.

For those interested, you can watch this live on the Internet from our local ABC News Channel - KSTP Channel 5 Eyewitness News
Live Internet Coverage

Anyone yelling terrorism at his point is WAY off base.

I live a few miles from the bridge and have seen daily the construction that is going on. The bridge was old...full of cars - there are FAR too many variables involved right now to say it was terrorism.

Please have respect for the situation and be reasonable with your calls. No one at this point has any idea what or why this happened and any speculation to terrorism is as relevant as someone saying that the aliens came down and blew the bridge out for fun.

Seriously. Grow up. Use your head.

Major Bridge Collapses

TACOMA NARROWS - PUGET SOUND 11/7/1940

The wind-induced collapse occurred on November 7, 1940 11:00AM, due partially to a physical phenomenon known as mechanical resonance

SILVER BRIDGE - OHIO RIVER 12/15/1967

On December 15,1967 at approximately 5 p.m., the U.S. Highway 35 bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio suddenly collapsed into the Ohio River. At the time of failure, thirty- seven vehicles were crossing the bridge span, and thirty-one of those automobiles fell with the bridge. Forty- six individuals perished with the buckling of the bridge and nine were seriously injured. Along with the numerous fatalities and injuries, a major transportation route connecting West Virginia and Ohio was destroyed, disrupting the lives of many and striking fear across the nation. (reference)

SUNSHINE SKYWAY - TAMPA BAY 5/9/1980

On the morning of May 9th,1980 at 07:38, during a violent rain squall producing high winds and almost zero visibility the empty phosphate freighter SUMMIT VENTURE piloted by Captain John Lerro slammed into the #2 South pier ( over 700 feet from the center of the channel ) of the southbound (1970) span , it knocked 1261 feet of center span, cantilever , approach and roadway into Tampa Bay. Thirty-five people , most of them on board a Greyhound bus bound for Miami plunged 150 feet to their deaths in what is now one of the worst bridge disasters in history.

I95 - MIANUS RIVER - 6/28/1983

The Mianus River Bridge on Interstate 95 in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, Connecticut is famous for the collapse of a 100-foot deck of its eastbound span on June 28, 1983. Three people were killed when their vehicles fell with the bridge into the Mianus River 70 feet below, and three were seriously injured.

OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE - 10/17/1989

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge suffered relatively minor damage, as a 50-foot (15 meter) section of the upper deck on the eastern side crashed onto the deck below. The quake caused the Oakland side of the bridge to shift eighteen centimeters to the east, and caused the bolts of one section to shear off, sending the small part of the roadbed crashing down like a trapdoor. When that part of the bridge collapsed, a few motorists fell into the hole, but landed safely on the lower deck, preventing them from falling into the bay

Least the truthers get too far ahead of themselves with some wild theories
bridges do collapse from a number of reasons.

thedman,

You saved me some trouble of going to wikipedia or the likes to copy and paste the countless amounts of bridge incidents that happened alone in the U.S. Thanks.

Originally posted by Spoontoad
For those interested, you can watch this live on the Internet from our local ABC News Channel - KSTP Channel 5 Eyewitness News
Live Internet Coverage

Thank you for that link, watching now, they are interviewing an eyewitness who claims he heard a rumble, looked out his window at the bridge, (his apartment window faces the bridge) he claims that when he looked out he seen puffs of smoke or dust, then the section nearest him went down, and then the rest followed.

They also say the death toll is up to 6, and that one construction worker is unaccounted for.



[edit on 1-8-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Ok this is the SECOND BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN TWO DAYS. The first one happen yesterday in California.

OROVILLE – A highway bridge under construction collapsed Tuesday morning in northern California, trapping a delivery truck and its driver under the debris. The Fed Ex truck could be seen partially crushed under a beam, and a California Department of Transportation vehicle was also damaged. The extent of the injuries from the crash was unclear. A helicopter was at the scene ready to transport the driver to a hospital, said California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Karen Ogle. A FedEx spokesman had no immediate comment. Construction crews were trying to remove and stabilize the collapsed beams and other steelwork that collapsed. Motorists were being told to use detours using State Route 162.

Link

I used to live about 1/4 of a mile frome the said bridge.

I doubt it was a terror thing.

I'm thinking the bridge collapsed in a catostrophic failure from mechanical resonense due to construction on the surface road deck.

I'm just glad I moved so I don't have to cross it several days a week.

Just my 2 cent's worth.

By the way how come it's your 2 cent's worth but it's only a penny for your thoughts.

Yes, it's the second bridge collapse in two days. Remember when the two helicopters collided? The two news helicopters? Only 1-2 days before/after (if not on the same day!) there was a medical helicopter that crashed. And? You're trying to tell me that those 2 incidents are related without any shred of proof?

Things happen. This is a reality of accidents we live in.

Reference:

news.yahoo.com...

www.nytimes.com...


[edit on 1-8-2007 by Donoso]

Just wondering where is this bridge located ccan anybosy post a pic from google earth. That blocks mississppi river access. So blocking ships maybe gas prices are gonna go up.

Structural engineer on CNN right now, says he is deeply troubled by the fact that both ends of the bridge went down, most would fail in one spot and spread out from there, only 1967 ohio collapse matches the way this one fell. What a nightmare of a situation!!

[edit on 1-8-2007 by truthseeker420]

Here is a Google view of the bridge.

The one on the left is I 35W.

JFY
maps.google.com...

Yeah, I heard that both sides coming down at one time.

This with yesterdays bridge sounds like something more to me.

Fox News person being interview it will probably come down to scouring as the failure, which makes sense in this type of collapse. I've seen History Channel specials on bridges and scouring is a big problem that most of the time they are able to deal with. But, nothing is perfect.

I cant read 4 pages of comment right now, but...

Here in minnesota we have had a streatch of hot weather! 2+ weeks 90+

I think this probably is heat realated.

No terrorist, no grand scheme by GW

Just heat

I live in the southern suburbs of the twin cities and cross that bridge many times a week. In fact I was on it at 1pm earlier today, but was home before this happened.

All I can really say is wow, but it doesn't surprise me that if there was going to be a failure, it would happen when workers were working on the bridge and at the end of rush hour.

I don't think terrorism has anything to do with it, but humans make mistakes, this is just a really huge one and pretty sad to see since it's so close to home.

Another person, a bridge expert on Fox News, says the bridge design is unique and it would take one part to give way and the whole thing would fail, being a unique arch design. They said there is no/little redundancy and are cheaper to make and popular during the time it was built.

This is a wider view. The buble on the left is the Metrodome and in Downtown Minneapolis This is a closer picture - the bridge on the left.

[edit on 1-8-2007 by Spoontoad]

Rush hour construction?

I think we will find that the info elevatedone dug out is the main cause of the failure.

News reports said traffic was down to one lane during rush hour.

Why the hell were they doing construction during rush hour, instead of overnight, as is done in most major cities?