I-75 Concrete Barrier Collapse

[GlockSpock]

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/bridge-collapses-on-i-75-in-chattanooga-interstate-closed-in-both-directions/936050582

I guess...April Fools?

Crazy. Bridges are something you just generally trust all the time. 

[GlockSpock]

I guess it's pretty dang easy to get inspection reports for public roads, or something.

https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://WRCB.images.worldnow.com/library/52d21583-4388-4f82-8f52-e9ce33ae2c22.pdf

[ShamGlock]

Yeah, this created a huge mess down here yesterday. Getting through Chatt these days will be even more of a nightmare. 

[macville]

Two things. First, the bridge was listed in "fair" condition in the report. So not "good" or "great" condition. Second, the driver's guardian angel surely has a concussion this morning. Talk about a close call.

[Capbyrd]

9 hours ago, GlockSpock said:

Crazy. Bridges are something you just generally trust all the time. 

You might.   I do not.  Ever.   I will speed up when going under an overpass and almost nothing gives me anxiety like waiting on a light to change sitting under an overpass.   Its crazy to trust those things.    And the ones with trains, 

[wttam]

Road/bridge infrastructure isn't intended to last 60 years.  Thankfully TDOT has already let this project (assumption from the comments made in the video).  We need aggressive improvements soon or we'll see more of this.  Unfortunately, it's very expensive.

[GlockSpock]

37 minutes ago, Capbyrd said:

You might.   I do not.  Ever.   I will speed up when going under an overpass and almost nothing gives me anxiety like waiting on a light to change sitting under an overpass.   Its crazy to trust those things.    And the ones with trains, 

Driving under an overpass rarely causes me anxiety. Around here (Chattanooga and Cleveland), I cannot really think of anywhere that there is a stopsign/light under an overpass, at least not that I travel frequently.

The only thing that generally causes my anxiety on the related topic is sitting on an overpass over busy traffic.

I am very much a realist and realize that things can and do fail, especially when it was built in the 1950's. With that being said, generally I have had a really good track record in the sense that I have never had a bridge/overpass fail me. I figure if it is going to happen, it would likely be to one of the many other people.

Being 30 minutes from where I live certainly did shake those views a bit

20 minutes ago, wttam said:

Road/bridge infrastructure isn't intended to last 60 years.  Thankfully TDOT has already let this project (assumption from the comments made in the video).  We need aggressive improvements soon or we'll see more of this.  Unfortunately, it's very expensive.

True. Stuff like this happening always brings it up in priority, but is often forgotten quickly.

[Capbyrd]

I'm well aware that my fear isn't rational.  I'm okay with that.   I just don't trust things that weigh multiple tons built by the lowest bidder.  

[cz75b]

I'm guessing that means you never fly either?

[Capbyrd]

20 minutes ago, cz75b said:

I'm guessing that means you never fly either?

I have flown.   I don't currently fly because TSA, because I'm fat and its uncomfortable for me and those around me, and because its too expensive compared to driving.  But I'm not scared of flying.   


I said it was irrational.  I understand that.   I don't have a lot of irrational fears like that but this is one that I have.   

[Magiccarpetrides]

16 minutes ago, Capbyrd said:

I have flown.   I don't currently fly because TSA, because I'm fat and its uncomfortable for me and those around me, and because its too expensive compared to driving.  But I'm not scared of flying.   


I said it was irrational.  I understand that.   I don't have a lot of irrational fears like that but this is one that I have.   

I love the TSA...nothing like a free reach around....errr pat down to calm the nerves before a flight.... "sir would you like to do this here or in private"...always go with the "in private"...much more "thorough!"

[jpx2rk]

Not particularly fond of sitting on an interstate overpass waiting on the traffic light (Lovell Rd in Knoxville for example) and you can feel the overpass bridge vibrating/bouncing from the other traffic like those 5-10 18 wheelers rolling across.  

Saw on the news last night that TDOT thinks an over sized load may have hit the bridge and weakened it, and then it finally gave way. No clue on who the over sized load belonged to, and the news clip also stated that traffic cameras cannot be used to investigate if this theory is true or not due to the source of funding for the TDOT cameras. 

[Ronald_55]

22 hours ago, Magiccarpetrides said:

I love the TSA...nothing like a free reach around....errr pat down to calm the nerves before a flight.... "sir would you like to do this here or in private"...always go with the "in private"...much more "thorough!"

Everyone ends up happy then?

[Mark A]

13 hours ago, jpx2rk said:

Not particularly fond of sitting on an interstate overpass waiting on the traffic light (Lovell Rd in Knoxville for example) and you can feel the overpass bridge vibrating/bouncing from the other traffic like those 5-10 18 wheelers rolling across.  

You would REALLY love being in the bowels of one of the TVA dams that has an interstate bridge over the top...

My personal favorite? In October or November of 2001 I was at the lowest level of Kentucky dam. They were building a new interstate bridge across the river because the current bridge on top of the dam was beginning to cause structural damage. We were there to look at relocating some piping and pumps so that some structural work could be done.

The entire dam was shaking and vibrating. Then... the TVA police showed up and said we had to evacuate immediately due to a credible terrorist threat.  If anyone remembers they found a couple cars full of men of middle eastern descent taking pictures of dams, rivers and bridges.

It was a most interesting day. Fortunately, most of my TVA work occurred at the nukes where it was safe.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Mark A

[Dirtshooter]

Our infrastructure was mostly built to last 50 years ago and much of that is 75 years old or older. Thanks to the U.S. being so generous with our tax dollars giving to every country on the planet instead of keeping up with our infrastructure. Not to mention the thanks we get for giving billions of dollars to say Honduras, Argentina, Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico. 

[hipower]

3 hours ago, Dirtshooter said:

Our infrastructure was mostly built to last 50 years ago and much of that is 75 years old or older. Thanks to the U.S. being so generous with our tax dollars giving to every country on the planet instead of keeping up with our infrastructure. Not to mention the thanks we get for giving billions of dollars to say Honduras, Argentina, Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico. 

When I was very young, I had a lot of inner ear problems that required many frequent trips from Baxter to an ENT down on Church St.

Remember the long trips on Highway 70 and watching/listening to my Dad griping about how long it was taking to open the I40 Interstate Roadway. 

I think that was about 1962/63. So 66+/- years old for the I40 system. Lots of work and replaced sections on it in the last 20 years; so some didn't even last 50.

However, in defense of the builders back then, I don't think they had the vaguest notion of how much traffic would be on it in the years ahead.