×
Login
Forgot password?
Don't have an Account?
Register Now!
Forgot Password
102. Interstate Bridge Collapses
An eight-lane steel bridge on interstate 35 collapsed
evening rush hour. Dozens of cars plummeted 60
into the Mississippi River. Ten people died, and
than 50 were seriously injured. The bridge was
repaired because it was found to be structurally
; it needed to be reinforced. Like many bridges
America, the bridge was built more than 40
ago. Traffic was much lighter then. Nowadays, cars,
, and big trucks cross the bridge steadily, even
at night.
“I heard a terrific boom. It
like the loudest thunder I ever heard,” said
witness to the disaster. She ran out of
car to see what was happening. She saw
falling into the river and heard people screaming.
heard the loud cracking sounds of the bridge
and splashing sounds as bridge sections and vehicles
the water. “It was horrible,” she said.
Engineers
no explanation for the collapse. They said the
had been inspected recently. The report said that,
it was structurally deficient, the bridge was not
. Since the report did not declare the bridge
, the decision was to simply reinforce it at
locations.
Americans were shocked that an American bridge
simply collapse. The news was all over TV,
, and most newspapers. One newspaper investigation revealed that
10 percent (about 59,000) of America’s bridges were
deficient.
Initially, some people speculated that terrorists might
rigged a bomb to the bridge. Others noted
all the pigeon poop on the bridge’s support
might have eroded the steel. One blogger wrote
, before he drove over another bridge in America,
would make sure that a life jacket was
the front seat next to him.
Check
Hint
OK