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.
It is going to be hell on the commute tomorrow and for a time afterward. It will take Caltrans ages to fix this mess. The still haven’t finished the eastern span of the Bay Bridge and it has been almost 18 years.
They apparently don’t comprehend just how long an aircraft can burn without the added fuel of building components either.
It is one of the busiest freeway interchanges in the United States, and it took out two overpasses, one southboand (toward Oakland and the bedroom communities of the East Bay, and one Westbound (toward San Francisco). There were maybe two other places where an explosion could have brought down two. And, of course, a hundred square miles in the area where it wouldn’t have brought down any.
4 in the morning on a deserted highway just doesn’t make for much of a terrorist attack. If it were 4AM in a densely packed residential area, maybe.
Is there only on bay in CA. I did miss the CA part.
KPIX live and reporting that the tanker driver lost contol of the tanker truck. The driver escaped and walked to a nearby gas station where he called a cab and was taken to the hospital. Driver in the hospital in critical condition with moderate burns.
Monday is going to be a mess. Sounds like the driver stuck around and tried to put the fire out?
One explosion, two overpasses. One southbound, one westbound where the two crossed over each other.
Nope, I haven’t either and I guess I am paranoid but the first thing I think of when an explosion of this magnitude happens is who caused it and why. Seems a mighty big coincidence to me and the driver hails a cab to the hospital, that is itself seems strange.
It says the bay bridge, there is only one bay bridge, besides it says highway 80 and 580, they are in CA. This is in Oakland, CA.
Agreed. I sometimes take that route into Oakland from the Tri-Valley Area and it’s the route I use to get to the airport. Must tell hubby not to get in a hurry tomorrow to get to work. Although he doesn’t travel that route, the backwash from traffic problems will affect his WB580 to SB680 commute. Fortunately he doesn’t have to be to work at a specific time.
Usually by now there is a name and possibly a picture of the person. I wonder why there is no name. It make me suspicious in today’s day. Maybe it is like you said.
It wouldn't’t surprise me if terrorists attack our infrastructure. It takes forever to rebuild anything unless you live in Southern California. The Southland seems to get their roads rebuilt faster after disasters.
Once the wreckage is cleared away, that section of freeway will have to be checked for structural integrity. One factor is having the wreckage plop down on top of it and also possible damage from the fire.
It's going to be a mess.
Where I live it would be one roadway passing over another roadway = one overpass?
I get it now. It goes back to my days in journalism. A story written like this - without the pertinent information in the first paragraph - would have been tossed on the floor and rewritten.
Must tell hubby not to get in a hurry tomorrow to leave now to get to work Monday.
“There must be some mistake. Rosie says that fire doesn’t melt steel.”
*slaps forehead* We, the VRWC, have done this to demonstrate her error! She’s too smart you know, she’ll figure out our conspiracy...
;)
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