State closes Murray Morgan bridge (Tacoma, 'life safety concerns')

Source: The News Tribune

The state Department of Transportation closed the 94-year-old Murray Morgan Bridge today, citing “life safety concerns.”

The news led City Council members to angrily question new transportation Secretary Paula Hammond about the state’s apparent failure to maintain the iconic span. Council members also grilled Hammond about the consequences the closure would have on emergency response to the Tideflats.

State officials had been inspecting the bridge with greater scrutiny following the collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis this summer. The inspection showed corroded and crumbling steel to such an extent that officials decided to immediately close the bridge to all traffic, including emergency vehicles.

... The closure takes effect immediately. The bridge had been scheduled for closure from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and tomorrow for inspection purposes, and won’t reopen. It’s not clear when or even whether the bridge would reopen.

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/186010.html

...it looks to be way too old to carry the type of heavy wheeled truck traffic which drives main roads today

It was built before cars existed. Roebling, who designed the bridge, designed it to be sturdier than necessary. That's why it is still in use.

...for the 21st century that will produce jobs for the next 50 years and stimulate economic growth. Instead BushCo, the neocons and the rethuglicons have wasted $2.5 trillion on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and want to begin yet another costly war with Iran and lord knows who else! :wtf:

It would provide jobs, safe, useful infrastructure. It would generally benefit the country.

$2.5 trillion for death and war profiteers is what we get instead. Sad, isn't it?

I'm staring at the "grilled.. about the consequences the closure would have on emergency response" part. Uh huh.

council people voted for Eyman's initiative to gut the transportation budget?

garnered short-sighted votes for relief from fees at the greater expense of impact to public transportation. Oops

The newly constructed, $37 million bridge was funded by the United States and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

http://www.export.gov/afghanistan/

nt

Good thing it's getting inspected, though. :thumbsup: