FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[TC]

Tragedies such as these impact the whole state.

Not exactly what you mean, but...

This will have a direct impact on the vehicle traffic of the entire region for at least the next 3 years.  I have a hard time thinking of a more vital 2,000 foot stretch of road in the Twin Cities.

[tmerton]

I thought of the Bay Bridge, too.

It wasn't the Bay Bridge that got hit so much as the approach - what we called the Cypress Freeway - the approach out of Oakland north to either the Bay Bridge or to Berkeley, which was a double decker and had the top level collapse down on the first level.  I used to spend 10 to 15 minutes a day stalled in traffic on the lower level.  The blessing (if you call it that) of the Loma Prieta quake was that the Giants were playing the A's in the World Series, which caused folks to leave work early.  As a consequence the traffic on the Cypress Freeway was less congested than it would normally have been.

CNN, at least initially, reported that there was construction on I35W, which narrowed traffic to 1 or 2 lanes, thereby lowering the number of vehicles that would have been on the bridge.  I hope that was the case.

[coco]

I know that I-35 is a major freeway, but how many other bridges are there in the area?

[TC]

I know that I-35 is a major freeway, but how many other bridges are there in the area?

There are, I believe, 9 bridges over the Mississippi in or near downtown Minneapolis.  But only two are freeways--I-35W runs north/south while I-94 runs east/west.  This is a major, major bridge as the others running north/south are only designed for local traffic.  I'm really glad I don't live in Nordeast anymore.

[johnnie_esq]

I know that I-35 is a major freeway, but how many other bridges are there in the area?

There are 4 two-lanes-each-direction bridges within a mile each direction of this bridge.  But none of them,  nor could any combination of them, serve or are easily capable of handling the 200,000 cars this bridge could handle.  They are mainly "local" bridges serving roads that surprisingly and mainly go East/West (the 3rd Ave Bridge does carry North/South traffic).  This was a thoroughfare to get from Duluth to Des Moines.  There was an accident near this bridge about a month ago at rush hour and traffic was backed up all the way to the outside of the 694 loop.  That's a good 8-10 miles. 

There is one other freeway bridge near downtown.  It is 4 lanes each direction and jammed by itself at rush hour.

KR, how did you walk across that bridge?  There was no pedestrian lane on it!

The death count continues to rise-- 7 fatalities, 20 still missing, and they've called off the water search tonight.  After watching Mythbusters, the chances of survival when a car goes into water is about 20-30 seconds at best.  I can't imagine what it would be after a shock like a bridge collapsing.

** CNN is reporting that a piling failed because of Water Erosion.  WCCO doubts the veracity of the report-- perhaps it is from the Lowry Ave bridge upstream, which had that problem**

[piperinsider]

Drove that stretch from Industrial Blvd. for two years. Left work at 6, crossed the bridge every night at 6:05. Scary. This is just unbelieveable. I am still in shock.

My prayers go out to everyone involved in this tragedy.

[Touchdown Tommy]

Fellas I had to take a few hours to collect my thoughts.  I was approaching the Metrodome on 4th St tonite downtown around 6:10-6:15.  All of the sudden sirens.  And I think nothing of it.  Just the usual emergency downtown Minneapolis.  Then we park the car and walk towards the Dome and it keeps going.  Then I am thinking WTF is going on.  This happens in Manhattan where the sounds of sirens create their own symphony, but MSP???  So I grab a corn dog on the Plaza and a beer.  Sirens, fire trucks, cops, EMTs, just mayhem on the streets.  Pull out the cell phone and it has gone off the hook and I didn't even hear it.  Call the family to say I am okay etc.  Amazingly get thru as I later find out that the cell networks are Jammed up.  Go into the Dome for the game and start to hear what is going on.  Then the announcement over the PA system of what happened.  It was surreal to be there tonite.  Can't really describe it.  Guessing what has happened and to what extent.  Then the announcement that tomorrow's game is postponed and the groundbreaking ceremony as well.  Very shocking because I could have easily went 35W to the game instead of 94.  Too close for comfort but once again thankful to be alive!!!

[AO]

What a mess that was tonight.  Went over the bridge in the late afternoon with my girl to get downtown.  I proceeded to talk my grandmother and girlfriend out of having dinner at a place in northeast minneapolis, which would have required me to cross the bridge three times to get to and from the restaurant and back to my place in roseville.  Instead, found out at 7 about the collapse and decided to go see if I could help.  By the time we got to the U pedestrian bridge there were several teams of divers and boats working the river, and the fires appeared to be put out.  Must have been thousands of university students crowding around on the shore and bridges.  The bridge didn't appear to be quite as high as I thought it to be from my experience driving across it hundreds of times.  64 feet at the highest.  Traffic probably wasn't moving much faster than 5 or 10 mph.  The construction crew must have some amazing survival stories if they were on it during the collapse. 

[footballfan413]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people of the Twin Cities and especially the families of the victims!  Lived in the Cities for 5 years out of college and still have friends and family there! My sincere condolences to all! 

[Buckman]

Here is a video from what appears to be a nearby surveillance camera of the bridge collapsing. 

[BDB]

Surreal evening. I used to live 300 yards or so from that bridge.

It's going to take a few years for the community/state to deal with this, and a lifetime for the families of the lost.

Heartfelt prayers for them.

[Pat Coleman]

Went over that bridge twice a day for four years of high school. Never felt good about it, though I always figured that fear was irrational. We had to change lanes on the bridge to make the exit there at University Blvd. and I usually pictured the bus going over the side.

[bennie]

I was watching TV last night, happily oblivious, when the 11 o'clock news did a teaser of the stories they would be covering. I was stunned when they showed the bridge collapsing and said that it happened in Minneapolis. How truly terrifying. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved. I am very happy that it appears that all of our PP regulars that live in the Twin Cities are safe and sound.

[piperinsider]

Went over that bridge twice a day for four years of high school. Never felt good about it, though I always figured that fear was irrational. We had to change lanes on the bridge to make the exit there at University Blvd. and I usually pictured the bus going over the side.

I always had the same vision in my Marshall Field's truck. When sitting in the passenger seat, you were seriously staring straight down. Never liked the bridge because the walls were so short.

[Pat Coleman]

Never liked the bridge because the walls were so short.

Agreed!