Rendell: State's bridges reasonably safe (Pa Residents)

[bleedingheart]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07214/806419-100.stm

"HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell said today the Pennsylvania motorists can have "a reasonable degree of confidence" that bridges in the state are safe to drive across, but said he can't give an absolute guarantee that a bridge collapse, such as happened in Minnesota yesterday, will never happen here.

He said Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of bridges classified as "structurally deficient," with 5,900 of its 25,000 state-owned bridges in that category. The state also has the highest number of spans that are 75 years old or older, he said.

But being listed as structurally deficient doesn't mean a bridge is unsafe to drive over, he said. It means that the bridge is put on "a watch list'' and must be inspected at least once a year, and sometimes two or three times a year, to ensure safety. "


It is great to see my great state leading the nation in the number of bridges classified as "structurally deficient" Woo Hoo! So proud!


I recommend folks check own the stats on their own states at the American Society of Civil Engineering site...see how your own state ranks...

www.asce.org

Folks the bridge in Minnesota may be the first of the "canaries in the coal mine"...

[blues90]

1. Big gray area in the word reasonable !

[bleedingheart]

4. yup...a big ole gray area...and how confident would people be

if they knew the bridges they used in their daily commute were the deficient ones? or the one that required up to 3 inspections a year???

[blues90]

5. This is how the states get away with this .

The average citizen does not think about these structures being safe , they drive back and forth and no one tells them a thing , certainly the news will not tell them unless one collapses then it's a big story and then people get nervous but it's at the cost of lives .

Certainly there are people who are more aware and suspicious of their surroundings and avoid bridges and elevators at all costs if they can . I am one because I wonder about these old structures . Even in southern calif we have very high over passes and many down in the 1994 earthquake but many were just looked at .

[Junkdrawer]

2. In Pittsburgh, I quiver every time I cross the Homestead Grays (High Level) Bridge...

And that was before Wednesday...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_Grays_Bridge

[shain from kane]

3. I haven't trusted PA's inspections since the Johnstown Flood.

[liberal N proud]

6. reasonably safe?

:banghead:

[bleedingheart]

7. what doesn't that provide you comfort?

:sarcasm: