Posted on 04/29/2007 6:40:56 AM PDT by WSGilcrest
Tanker truck explosion caused part of the upperdeck of the maze approaching the Bay Bridge to collapse.
Watch live coverage starting at 7 a.m. on NBC11
What was initially reported to the California Highway Patrol as a fire at around 3:42 a.m. Sunday quickly escalated to an explosion and roadway collapse on roadway that connects eastbound Interstate Highway 80 to eastbound Interstate Highway 580, according to a California Highway Patrol dispatcher.
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According to the dispatcher, the roadway was destroyed after a tanker caught on fire and exploded, causing the driver to suffer second degree burns.
The tanker was under the overpass.
Chopper11 showed at least two sections of the maze collapsed.
The dispatcher said there is no word on when the roadway will be open and it could be days if not months before traffic resumes as usual on this stretch of road.
Stay with NBC11 and NBC11.com for continuing coverage of this breaking story.
The government's a bit thick, ain't it? It takes them decades to glom on to what the hoi polloi got quite a while ago. Then again, if it's all about bucks, common sense isn't gonna matter a hill o' beans to them :(
Please, Ditter, enough. Drop it.
Bingo!!
:)
Well, not only that, but no gas tax will be collected on that truck-load to help pay for the repairs. Even a ME terrorist couldn’t have done a better job of screwing up traffic to San Francisco!!!
What’s the driver’s NAME and is he a MUSLIM????????
I'd suspect that he's not the sort of guy intent on becoming an incent jihadi martyr.
Too bad they didn’t loop CA 480 all the way around to 101 near the Golden Gate Bridge.
One thing I dislike about San Francisco is that there is no freeway going through. One has to drive on surface streets and deal with endless stoplights.
At least here in the South Bay, we have expressways and freeways with exits.
I think you're right about the name of the freeway......
I've been to San Francisco several times but I always stay in Walnut Creek and take BART into the city. Unfortunately, that means I had to ride with those crazy taxi drivers. I always wanted to kiss the ground when they let me out. LOL I was just happy to be alive. ;o)
Don’t you know I’m teasing?
Now the replacement bridge is being built. Traffic lanes are being switched around all the time, so perhaps local commuters have been "pre-trained".
Maybe the goal isn't terrorism, just massive gridlock to cripple the economy.
What if we begin to see guerrilla-style tanker-bombings as sabotage? What if we fix the overpass and it explodes again? Now do this in all cities and what would be the result?
Does this mean that we now have to enhance protection of major urban traffic interchanges?
What are the background checks required to be a driver of a fuel tanker on our highways?
-PJ
There are at least five different areas of the country which refer to their bridge as the "Bay Bridge."
Isn't it amazing that even one of the world's best-known and cosmopolitan areas is so provincial as to assume everyone will instantly "know" where they're talking about?
Are you kidding me? This country hands out CDL’s and endorsements like candy!
FR is soooo fun....LOL
It’s apparently contagious.
Actually this is fascinating.
Anyone who needs to post more than twice to establish
a) he is right and the other idiot should see that...
and...
b) He must have the last word...
Has some serious control and other psychological issues.
Would you issue a gun permit to that psychological type?
My theory is that the driver suffered some sort of breakdown or problem, and he chose to stop his truck under the upper road. Something psychological about feeling more protected.
My guess is that commercial drivers of tankers will get specific training NOT to park a disabled rig under another road.
By the way, you don't have to agree with me. I'm good and moving on to other things.
: )
I’ve been to San Francisco several times but I always stay in Walnut Creek and take BART into the city. Unfortunately, that means I had to ride with those crazy taxi drivers. I always wanted to kiss the ground when they let me out. LOL I was just happy to be alive. ;o)
_______________________________________________
Speaking of crazy taxi drivers, I went to New York City last May from the first to the fifth and experienced a few taxi rides. One was very slow (old white guy). One didn’t know where the Ed Sullivan Theater was and kept driving around (not sure of nationality— but from overseas). He knew where it was. On the ride from the airport I thought I was going to die becuase he drove very fast in traffic(Middle Eastern type).
Stating the obvious, this would be an incredibly useful way for terrorists to take out our highway systems.
It also happens more frequently in complicated interchanges with a plurality of confusing signs, swooping ramps, and support posts looming on the edge of the roadway.
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