By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine
I spent nearly 10 years in Minnesota and drove over the Interstate 35W bridge that spanned the Mississippi River too many times to count.
I never gave it a second thought until last night when it collapsed.
Authorities found more bodies Thursday in the wreckage of the bridge after a massive section fell into the river during Wednesday evening's rush hour. It was a surreal avalanche of twisted metal and concrete slabs, along with dozens of vehicles careening into the river below.
There was no earthquake, no barge ramming into the structure or any terrorist trying to create havoc -- it was just an accident. The 40-year-old steel-truss bridge that carried over 100,000 vehicles a day had just had enough.
The bridge was undergoing construction but Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said it passed all inspections. He also informed a throng of reporters that the I35W bridge was among thousands of bridges across the country deemed to be "structurally deficient" in a federal government report.
A typical political oxymoron that exemplifies why so many Americans are disenchanted at their Government, be it at the local, state or federal level.
As I waited for calls from various people to see if they were OK, I started thinking about the Philadelphia area. Today I drive over the Tacony-Palmyra bridge on a daily basis and also use the Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges on a consistent basis.
Usually when I flip between the woefully ill informed Howard Eskin and the hackneyed Jody Mac, my thoughts are hollow. Anger at the bad drivers that pervade the area or the glorified meter maids that man the ridiculous speed traps. Or bemusement at Uncle Charlie’s latest moves or Donovan McNabb’s LiLo like cries for help that mask as press conferences.
Today, I have to put sports and everything else in perspective and just hope our bridges aren’t among the thousands Governor Pawlenty spoke of.
No comments:
Post a Comment