Smile,
If you are from the DC area and you are a civil engineer then you might recall when a tanker truck hit the outer loop overpass of the northbound 270 spur. Though we were told no damage was done. The bridge was replaced shortly thereafter. My father is a traffic engineer and I think that he would differ with you on the integrity of the bridges around here. They aren't replacing the Wilson bridge simply because of traffic.
Howerver having said all that I don't think what GW and I saw had anything to do with the bridges but with something to do with passing messages.
Regards,
Boiler Plate
No I am not an engineer. Iwas replying to post #112. Yes I do remember that bridge being struck by Montgomery Mall. The bridge was replaced not for structural reasons but because of design flaws which made the bridge too low in the right lane. The truck in question was loaded incorrectly(too high) as well as the paving of the road brought the road surface up, and consequently the bridge was lower than was marked (22'). I also remember a foot bridge collapsing on 695 and crushing several cars. Also a tanker carrying a combustible liquid driving off an overpass on 95 not far from where we are talking about.Maybe a month or two ago. The integrity of the bridges is another issue entirely. They are a mess due to overuse and lack of maintanance. When I drive though NYC and see two by fours being used to brace some of the overpasses it is indeed frightening. Our tax dollars at work. And the only other reason besides traffic I know of to replace the WW Bridge is to raise it for ship traffic. Remember the idiot who held up traffic for a day threatening to jump off of there? I hope they can prevent this in the future. Maybe the Asian Girl was contemplating the same.