Stillwater Lift Bridge closed until further notice

The Stillwater Lift Bridge is expected to be closed throughout the evening rush hour as maintenance and bridge inspection crews from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of ...

[Andy]

Bridges are the new "shark attack" of news.

[Mad Jack]

Send the bill for all time lost to those who oppose the construction of a new bridge.

[Hardhead]

Mad Jack wrote:

Send the bill for all time lost to those who oppose the construction of a new bridge.

I agree. We really don't need a new bridge there, although the one that is there was supposed to be replaced in 1965. All we need is some more spit and bailing wire. I heard over the weekend that MNDOT was concidering banning semis from the bridge due to the condition of the span. Who is going to claim responsability when the bridge falls into the river?? The Sierra Club??

[Mellers]

I was over at my parents' place this weekend to mow their lawn. I took a break for lunch and grabbed an old Reader's Digest to read while eating. Paraphrased from the October 2006 Reader's Digest:

"Bridges across America are in dire need of funding. Over X percent (30-50%, I forget) are considered structurally deficient and many of them are in real need of being replaced before colapsing. Bridge X in X city (horrible memory, eh?) collapsed during rush hour along the east coast, with one fatality. Our transportation system needs to develop a bridge trust fund to finance these bridges so they're repaired before they collapse."

Okay, I can't remember as much as I want, but I remember being a bit shocked by this and double-checking the date: October 2006. The article was written a full 10 months before the 35W bridge collapse. I didn't know the words "structurally deficient until August 1, 2007 and yet here was a full article in a national digest about the topic. So maybe it's the issue du jour (or issue d'annee) but I think it's a real one that some understood the seriousness before we had a local catastrophe.

[Mellers]

Okay, I was annoyed at my horrible ability to remember an article I read 2 days ago. Here it is:

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-peop...

Both problems and solutions. Ideas written nearly 2 years ago that are still being discussed today.

[Dick In Dixie]

Every bridge is a danger to everybody. Run! There is no time. Run!

[call me misty]

instead of funding roads/bridges we fund lightrail and ballparks....

priorities liberals priorities

Mellers wrote:

I was over at my parents' place this weekend to mow their lawn. I took a break for lunch and grabbed an old Reader's Digest to read while eating. Paraphrased from the October 2006 Reader's Digest:
"Bridges across America are in dire need of funding. Over X percent (30-50%, I forget) are considered structurally deficient and many of them are in real need of being replaced before colapsing. Bridge X in X city (horrible memory, eh?) collapsed during rush hour along the east coast, with one fatality. Our transportation system needs to develop a bridge trust fund to finance these bridges so they're repaired before they collapse."
Okay, I can't remember as much as I want, but I remember being a bit shocked by this and double-checking the date: October 2006. The article was written a full 10 months before the 35W bridge collapse. I didn't know the words "structurally deficient until August 1, 2007 and yet here was a full article in a national digest about the topic. So maybe it's the issue du jour (or issue d'annee) but I think it's a real one that some understood the seriousness before we had a local catastrophe.

[A guy who calls you dumb]

call me misty wrote:

instead of funding roads/bridges we fund lightrail and ballparks....
priorities liberals priorities
<quoted text>

Wait until you can't drive your gas guzzler anymore, you'll be begging for all those "liberal" ideas to be implemented, misty-baby.

[Mellers]

call me misty wrote:

instead of funding roads/bridges we fund lightrail and ballparks....
priorities liberals priorities
<quoted text>

This liberal agrees with you. And while Pawlenty is no conservative, he is a Republican and supports (I think) both the light rail funding as well as the Stadium funding.

Bi-partisan issues here.

[call me misty]

dems energy plan of restrict/block/litigate has
me wishing for more.

like lightrail-train from nowhere to nowhere

Mellers wrote:

I was over at my parents' place this weekend to mow their lawn. I took a break for lunch and grabbed an old Reader's Digest to read while eating. Paraphrased from the October 2006 Reader's Digest:
"Bridges across America are in dire need of funding. Over X percent (30-50%, I forget) are considered structurally deficient and many of them are in real need of being replaced before colapsing. Bridge X in X city (horrible memory, eh?) collapsed during rush hour along the east coast, with one fatality. Our transportation system needs to develop a bridge trust fund to finance these bridges so they're repaired before they collapse."
Okay, I can't remember as much as I want, but I remember being a bit shocked by this and double-checking the date: October 2006. The article was written a full 10 months before the 35W bridge collapse. I didn't know the words "structurally deficient until August 1, 2007 and yet here was a full article in a national digest about the topic. So maybe it's the issue du jour (or issue d'annee) but I think it's a real one that some understood the seriousness before we had a local catastrophe.

[Mellers]

call me misty wrote:

dems energy plan of restrict/block/litigate has
me wishing for more.
like lightrail-train from nowhere to nowhere
<quoted text>

I'm always about a middle-of-the-road, "everyone wins" sorts of compromise. What if we allow drilling in all of the areas that drilling is desired, but there's a requirement that 1/2 of the net profits made goes into developing sustainable, alternative energy?

[Frustrated]

Pawlenty's is as much a true Republican as Dave Thune...

[mike v]

lets see driving a truck and don't know the clearance limits onthe truck and the bridge!!!!!! BILL'EM DAN'O BIG TIME....this the knda thing that kills people drunk or sober,,,,WHAT'S WORSE is a pro driver did this

[slimjim]

Hardhead wrote:

<quoted text>I agree. We really don't need a new bridge there, although the one that is there was supposed to be replaced in 1965. All we need is some more spit and bailing wire....

Don't forget the Duct Tape!

[Cat Fever]

Maybe we can put lightrail in stillwater???

the mind of a liberal

[getting old and mad]

I lived in Stillwater 30 years ago when the hot topic of the day was - you guessed it - Should the Stillwater bridge be replaced!
The same people who blocked it's replacement then are still blocking it now!
I would find this funny if I didn't need to cross the darn thing every day. I always roll down my windows and pray!