Meggisi

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August 19, 2007

:: Lies and Shame - Bridge Collapse Preventable

MnDOT's top bridge engineer Dan Dorgan (right) and fellow employee review a children's book on how highway bridges are built. Maybe Dorgan should have read more carefully? (Photo by Craig Wilkins, MnDOT)

The StarTribune published a story today that blows open the lies given early on in the I-35W tragedy when officials such as Gov. Tim Pawlenty said, "If anybody would have told me this bridge needed to be closed, it would have been closed." Actually, Governor, people may have not told you directly, but they did tell many that the I-35W bridge should have been closed.

The StarTribune reports that MnDOT officials discussed the option in a meeting last winter, headed up by Dan Dorgan, the lead MnDOT bridge engineer who we saw in the media briefings early on saying that the bridge was indeed "structurally deficient", but that the term did not mean "imminent danger". Now we know he was lying.

In the meeting minutes and MnDOT records, the department states, "if a crack is found it will take 4 months to order steel and reinforce the bridge, and the bridge will be closed to traffic for this duration. But there is a further risk that the damage is beyond fixing, and the bridge will have to be condemned. This means 35W will be closed for a minimum 5 years until the new bridge is finished."

That's right: CONDEMNED!! The bridge should have been condemned, closed, etc. But, as always, it came down to money. Dorgan admitted that they took they less expensive route in choosing inspections over repairs, despite the fact that it would have only cost MnDOT $1.5 million out of a $2 billion annual MnDOT budget.

So, fingers are still being pointed. Lt. Governor Carol Molnau - who heads up MnDOT - blustered at reporters after the bridge collapse saying, "These people work day and night to make sure we have a safe system. And we strive for that. Our inspectors are known nationally because they're good. We have a great group of experts here working on a system," said Molnau. "We've had a terrible thing happen. But believe me -- there was no intent, no neglect and no malice on their parts. Nor do I think it should be implied." (from Minnesota Public Radio and the AP on 8/3/07)

Agreed that it wasn't intent or malice that led to the bridge collapse, but it certainly was neglect. May I remind folks that the agencies involved in recovery and investigation are still treating this as a criminal case? Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that the folks at MnDOT were just doing what they thought was "best". Is it "best" to save money rather than fix the state's largest, most studied and heavily-traveled bridge?

Quoting from the StarTribune:

According to records and MnDOT's timeline, here's how the agency turned, as Dorgan said, "180 degrees" to embrace inspections over reinforcements:

• June 2006 URS recommends reinforcing 52 truss members most susceptible to cracking.

• Mid-October 2006 The Bridge Office requests money for reinforcing and the project is funded with $1.5 million.

• Late November 2006 URS is told to make plans for a contract letting in October 2007.

• Dec. 19, 2006 URS informs MnDOT that ultrasonic inspections are an alternative to installing reinforcing plates. URS sends a draft of revised recommendations to MnDOT. The three options are to reinforce 52 beams, inspect the beams with ultrasonic equipment or a combination of reinforcing 24 beams and inspecting the other 28.

• Jan. 17, 2007 The turning point occurs during a conference call. Dorgan and staff opt for inspection only. He says the decision is based on URS assurances that inspectors can detect and isolate cracks before they reach a dangerous length.

• Jan. 18, 2007 Gary Peterson tells MnDOT's Metro Division that the plate-installation project will be delayed until at least fiscal year 2008-2009.

• May 2007 Inspections of critical beams begin on half of the designated beams. Inspections were halted when concrete repairs began and were to resume in the fall.

According to the MnDOT timeline, engineers were scheduled to meet Aug. 20 to determine if inspections should continue or if they should go back to the plating concept. The bridge collapsed Aug. 1, leaving 11 people dead and two missing.

Have a read at the StarTribune website, and make sure to view the graphics they have posted there as well. Dorgan and his team were well informed, and very forewarned on the consequences -- they chose to ignore the warnings however, and people are dead.

Posted by pierre at 11:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 2, 2007

:: I-35W Bridge Collapse

By now you are very much aware of the tragedy that has occurred in the City of Lakes. In fact, you very well may have arrived here in the quest for new or varied information regarding the I-35W Bridge Collapse.

I will first off disclaim this blog entry and website as a source of "official" information. I will say that I have seen and read similar postings, including the Wikipedia entry, and much information on the internet is being published by people who clearly are not local and familiar with the area. Second, I do want to let my friends and family checking in out there that everyone in the Meggisi family is safe and sound.

The pictures above are courtesy of MnDot - they come from the traffic management website they produce. At left is a traffic camera shot from some time well before the incident yesterday (it is a "reference" picture that is posted to show the general vicinity and direction the camera has a view of). The vantage point is from the Washington Ave exit looking northbound across the river. The after picture was taken live at 8:59am this morning. Last night, this camera along with several others surrounding the bridge were turned off from public view.

If you haven't already heard the basic details, here is what everyone can summarize as the recovery effort continues this morning:

At roughly 1805 CDT last night (August 1st) the I-35W bridge (the entire bridge, 8 lanes) over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, adjacent to the campus of the University of Minnesota, collapsed.

No official determination of cause has been made. Local, State, and Federal Agencies, including the DHS, has stated that they are relatively certain that foul play and/or terrorist action was NOT the cause of the collapse

Road construction was underway on the bridge, but the work was to correct potholes in the concrete road deck and make minor repairs to guardrails and lighting. The operation was a common mill-and-overlay project, and workers were preparing to lay new concrete in milled sections on the outside (nearest the guardrail) lanes.The work being performed by workers did not affect any supporting structure of the bridge, and is not being blamed as a catalyst for the collapse.

Eyewitnesses, including survivors who "rode the bridge down" said that it was "typical bumper-to-bumper rush hour and construction traffic". As a result, several vehicles did plunge into the river, with some becoming trapped below bridge debris that collapsed on top of them.

As of 9am on 8/2, the death toll was officially at 4 souls, with Minneapolis Police saying they fear that the toll could climb into the 30's.

The flow of the Mississippi River, already low from the drought being experienced in the area, has been restricted even more by closing off the Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls Locks and Dams located just north of the bridge site.

Divers worked until dusk last night, and began working again at daybreak today on rescue and recovery.

A delegation of officials, including Senators and Congressmen who represent Minnesota, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Secretary of Transportation has arrived on-scene this morning, and will be holding a press conference this morning. If more pertinent information -- including any news or info that is not covered -- I will post it here as I am able. Please keep the residents of the Twin Cities, especially those affected directly by this tragedy, in your thoughts and prayers.

Posted by pierre at 9:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack