Hinsdale's I-5 Skagit River Bridge collapse

Yep, the top of the bridge...

Reposted on June 17, 2014

So I originally publish this on Friday July 30. I recently got arrested on multiple counts surrounding this bridge...5 counts including littering with a "Need New Bridge" sign.

So what is the total count of truck strike on the Hinsdale-Brattleboro bridges...I count 14. Eight being really serious. Why wasn't all this damage removed and replaced...brought back to the designer intent?

I-5 Skagit River Bridge collapse

 On May 23, 2013, at approximately 7:00 pm PDT, one span of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River at Mount Vernon, Washington State immediately collapsed into the river when it was struck by an over-height truck. Two other vehicles with three people fell with the span. The trapped people were rescued by boats.  

The vertical clearance for vehicles is limited by the portals and sideways sway structs. These are relatively low in older bridges. In Washington State bridges, the sway struts are often curved downwards at the outer ends, with less clearance above the outer lanes and outer shoulders. Tall loads then need to use the inner lanes for maximal clearance. These bridges are vulnerable to impacts by overheight vehicles, and such impacts were common. There was a known strike on this bridge that occurred on October 22, 2012, and investigators found evidence of several other impacts in years past.^[8] Bridge inspection reports dating back to the 1979 frequently note damage caused by over-height vehicles, and an inspection report from late 2012 noted a three-inch gash in the steel.^[9]

So I am beginning to document all the truck bridge strikes. This is a beginning...there has been horrible damage. And none of the severely damaged members have ever been repaired

There is tremendous energy liberated with truck bridge strikes. This is beginning in Brattleboro and on the right siding facing Hinsdale. The next pictures we will see from both sides of this damage protective lip...on the left hand side.

The below two severe damage is opposite sides of the same accident. This end of the bridge has tremendous footing bolt damage, destroyed footing and enormous corrosion to the metal attachment to the foundation. This moved the big truss...

This below is on the other side of the metal plate accident protrusion...you see the massive strike energy that bulged out this really thick metal. Why was't this replaced...there was a enormous transfer of strike energy to this huge main trust. There is a lot of damage underneath the deck and onto the footing. Who know when this happened?

This is called a diagonal member and it attached to gussets on both end. The below gusset is severely corroded  and the gusset itself is damaged from the crash.




Being bent like that means one or both gussets have been moved...along with anything attached to the trust you can see. This area near this severely diagonal member has stomach churning movement and vibration. The accident severely damaged this quarter of the bridge?

More of the same...

Same bridge below...next two pictures are the same strike..



This guy is bent from the front and back axis...

Check out the below bulgeing  gusset point...this is the result of the entrance and foundation sinking and sliding on the island sandbar.

Look at the massive bending of the top member...these two vertical members have to be slightly bent towards each other for that kind of bend. Tremendous damage to the bridge.

Ugly, ugly, ugly...enormous forces...both top beams bent.

Below, are these criss cross things really needed