Posted on 09/11/2011 2:15:37 PM PDT by Morgana
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered the immediate closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge on Friday evening.
Transportation officials in Kentucky and Indiana were informed Friday of the discovery of two cracks in the load-carrying element of the bridge on Thursday.
Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation said the crack is in an arch support over the Ohio River. There are two archways on the bridge; the crack was found on the underside of the roadway, near the archway closest to the Ohio River.
Officials called the cracks incredibly serious and potentially catastrophic.
"I would not have sent my family across that bridge," said Bob Zier, chief of staff for INDOT.
"The crack itself was determined to be above the level of risk that's really safe for motorists to be able to drive across," said Will Wingfield, public information officer for INDOT.
Travelers Must Find Alternate Routes
Over the next few days, structural engineers will be making further examinations of the bridge. But as for when the bridge might reopen, no one knows.
"No, we don't have an estimate at this time. So as a result, we should make people prepared that this could be short or could be very long-term in nature," Wingfield said.
"We found two areas with various very serious cracking in them. We still have 81 more to inspect. So the time to do this is going to be extensive," Zier said.
(Excerpt) Read more at wlky.com ...
Shovel-ready jobs.
“Officials called the cracks incredibly serious and potentially catastrophic.”
Why is it no one ever asks why they don’t find shit like this util it is so obvious? It doesn’t happen overnight. If we aren’t going to have an efficient DOT, why have one?
Is there no duct tape in the Louisville area?
So, finally, the cracks showed up and the inspectors were on the job. They found 90 pieces of steel that showed signs of cracking and 9 that didn't (in whatever part they were looking at).
Bridge inspections are frequently conducted by folks having nothing whatsoever to do with bridges or DOT.
http://www.wfpl.org/2011/09/09/beshear-promises-assistance-to-evaluate-sherman-minton-bridge/ ~ a little bit more in depth.
“various very serious”-’definitely deleterious, previously impervious’—feel free to add on,,,,,
No problem.......unless you live in the Knobs.
This is going to get interesting in a political way also. There have been plans to build an additional four bridges across the Ohio river in this area for close to thirty years.
A local ‘eco and high society’ group has been using various legal challenges and tricks to delay and halt where they could these new bridges. I imagine that new pressure will be placed on them to give up their resistance.
“Bridge inspections are frequently conducted by folks having nothing whatsoever to do with bridges or DOT”.
Who? Random, state by state, based on jurisdiction? All of the above?
Thank you for that information and insight.
Has any of this severe weather (flooding) or the earthquake had an impact on the area?
So often it turns out that it’s the envirowackos that have actually kept the state from doing what it needed to do to address an infrastructure problem.
Hey, Obama: good luck with that!
What were our ancestors thinking designing bridges with non-redundant load members. Easy for me to say I guess.
A surveyor can see if the bridge is still upright!
When your bridge has been whacked by a river barge (ever see one of those ~ they're huge) I am sure astute politicians make sure the potential inspectors are ready to jump on top of it.
“who are sufficiently trained that they can be brought in to inspect “
Uh huh. Brought in by who? Or are they just out “walking the earth” and looking to right the crack-challenged structures of the earth?
I have a friend who is a “bridge inspector”. $10.00 an hour and he worked as a janitor before that.
“I have a friend who is a “bridge inspector”. $10.00 an hour and he worked as a janitor before that. “
Hmmmmm. Sounds like the old “Panty Inspector” gag from the old days.
Correct, “all of the above”. Many are independent subs that have little or no training. I have a friend who is a “bridge inspector”. $10.00 an hour and he worked as a janitor before that.”
$10 bucks an hour, eh? Well hell, I could inspect several bridges a day on my regular commute. Especially if there is no one needed to direct the inspection to take place. Life is good for bridge inspectors. You’d think they would be out there inspecting there little hearts out.
You’d think they would be out there inspecting there little hearts out.
Meant “their” little hearts out.
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