Deficient Bridges in Clark County

[Chief]

Via MSNBC...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20099152#CLARK

There is a link to evey major bridge in Washington, by County. If you look at Clark County, one of the Interstate Bridges is rated 18.3 out of a possible 100...

Keys to using the data below:
Status of "D" means the bridge has been rated structurally deficient; "O" means it has been rated functionally obsolete.

Sufficiency rating is a value obtained by calculating four separate factors (structural adequacy and safety, serviceability and functional obsolescence, essentiality for public use, and special reductions) that is indicative of a bridge's sufficiency to remain in service. A value of 100 represents an entirely sufficient bridge and a zero represents a deficient bridge.

The raw dataset of the National Bridge Inventory, which is compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration from state reports, used for analysis was provided to MSNBC.com by the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting at the University of Missouri. The most recent data includes inspections through December 2006.

O 18.3 5 CLARK COLUMBIA R INTERSTATE OREGON LINE

[Chief]

The 35W Bridge in Minneapolis was rated 50 on the same scale of 100; of course it is now a ZERO!!

The more I read about this, the madder I get. We are into the second year of the $65 Million Dollar Columbia Crossing Project, whose only goal has been to figger out how to force Loot Rail onto the replacement for these deficient Interstate Bridges. The Washington State Department of Transportation enginneering staff, Kris Strickler in particular, have known what it would take to replace those bridges since before the CCP was even commissioned. I talked to Kris at the open houses several different times, and he is the fellow who first volunteered the $6 Billion Dollar cost.

According to him, as the Staff understood things at that time, the replacement bridge would cost between $1.1 and $1.2 Billion Dollars, with another approximately $800 Million Dollars required for the Interchanges, split between Oregon and Washington, and dependent upon what the actual configuration would be.

The remaining $4 Billion Dollars, as the Staff understood it at that time, would be for the "Transit portion" of the Project.

The disaster in Minneapolis ought to have every member of the Columbia River Crossing Task Force saying "There but for the Grace of God, go we". Picture what this area would go through if we had a catastrophic failure on those bridges, and I-5 were severed completely for a year or more.

** Picture the volume of traffic across the Glen Jackson Bridge on I-205

** Picture what traffic would be like on evey street and road that feeds onto I-205; including SR-14, Mill Plain, Fourth Plain, SR-500, SW-164th, Andresen, and everything in between.

** Realize that there are not enough buses or Light Rail trains in existence that can make up for the loss of 100% of the traffic in both directions on Interstate 5.

** Picture how many trucks will be diverted through town to access Interstate 205.

** Think Downtown America's The 'Couv looks deserted on a weekend now...??

** Picture what a ghost town Hayden Island and Delta Park will be, along with all of the businesses that are located there.

I am not being alarmist here. I have read the seismic reports on those bridges, and it is soboring. It is now downright scary in light of the collapse in Minneapolis. We live in one of the most seismically active areas in the United States, with an active volcano 60 or so miles North of the Interstate Bridges. It is no stretch of the imagination to realize how much in jeopardy I-5 is at the Columbia Crossing.

The Federal Bridge Inspection Program is imploding my friends. We have bought into a system of inspections on these bridges that thoroughly documents the rapidly deterioration conditions, crack by crack, failure by failure, and instead of spending the money to fix the problems, we simply keep raising the bar, while crossing our fingers that another one doesn't collapse some place else.

We just saw a bridge rated at 50 catastrophically fail for no apparent reason, while we continue to use, and allow our families to use, a pair of bridges that are in materially much worse condition and rated at 18.3 and 49.6 on exactly the same scale.

I believe the time has come to declare the Emperor naked....

The Columbia Crossing Project has become synonymous with the term "Light Rail" and the two terms are used interchangably. If you talk to WSDOT, they will tell you the Project is a pyramid, the three sides being the Bridge, Transit, and Highways. That is spin for justifying an expensive Loot Rail system that will eat up more money to build than it can ever justify under any circumstance.

All of you people up in the Lincoln Neighborhood who are still on the fence with Elizabeth Hovde about Loot Rail, need to think about what a living hell your lives will be if we ever lose I-5 the way Minneapolis just lost 35W. The focus should have always been on the Interstate, and I assure you that is where the Federal Government and the Federal Department of Transportation will be focused like a lazer...

I think it's time we raised the bar, and started getting about the business of replacing those bridges now, not ten years from now. One earthquake of the right magnitude, and I-5 is gone.

Let's get down off the fence boys and girls, before it's just too late.

Stout hearts...

[karma]

Chief, why focus on only this bridge when there are many more one can point at too.

[Waterbuffalo]

Our I-5 bridge would look quite nicely like that when the next 'quake hits..

Wonder when Helens is up for renewal of its unpermitted bellow (blast..)

[Chief]

Well karma, I am focusing on the I-5 bridge, because that is the most immediate problem, and the biggest project on our plate right here at home.

[Waterbuffalo]

Chief:

Its sad to me that I have to read there is going to be I-205 Improvements from two Seattle Times articles, but where int he local media do you hear this? <anger gets going..>

See my thread above this one about the Seattle Times and found more info. in the P-I, but noooooo.. Where is it in the Oregonian or Columbian?

[Waterbuffalo]

Karma: Have read your comments in the past about running a third bridge from Vancouver to Portland. Do believe there is just too much density in most areas to put a new one through.

But do have one idea.. Why can we not through Port of Portland and Vancouver traffic up Highway 30 to Rainier -Longview bridge (with some obvious bridge and roadway improvements are hugely needed for that to work.)

Chief: Are there any information off that site for this bridge?

[Chief]

bttt....

Still a relavent discussion that we started back in August...

[karma]

Sorry Chief, there should be more on that list but ya know when the water rise, that is when it proves that these bridges have a problem.

[Waterbuffalo]

Thanks for bumping this up and reminding me..

[Chief]

No doubt there are more that deserve to be added to the list karma, but the 2 most deficient bridges in Clark County, with a bullet, are the 2 Interstate Bridges...

[Waterbuffalo]

Are there any other bridges than Klineline or the Interstate bridges we should be watching for in Clark County?

[Chief]

Not sure WB. Those are the top three that we know for sure, Klineline in particular because it's now likely closed permanently.

[karma]

To answer Buff's question, yes!!! There are several other bridges that didn't make the list and it's one of the county top secrets just how bad our bridges and roadways are???

[Waterbuffalo]

Names Karma?

Chief: Welll..... I think its now self evident that the interstate bridges are just fine and dandy disastrous? :-) If replacement option doesn't go through in May or March meetings, your going to see a SHOCK in my face..

[Waterbuffalo]

How about a nice map of the ones in the Portland Metro side? (none in Clark County..)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/08/bridge.html

[karma]

Buff, all one needs to do is find out when the bridge was built and watch the water rise. There are plenty of bridges out here to add to the lists as we continue to see a neglect of them all. Also check out the diversion of transportation funds?? Also know that folks that serve on these committee are place there for many reasons? One bridge you need to take a look at is the NW 36 Ave bridge over Salmon Creek with is a fairly new bridge compared to what it was in the 1960s. The low to the ground bridge and the high water with the adding of semi trucks is a disaster awaiting to happen?

[Waterbuffalo]

Will the local "inquirer" be setting a photo shoot during such an event?

[karma]

Ya know Buff, you should ask Lou as they pick up lots of stories from here?? Maybe they can bring out bottled water for those that need it too?
Or maybe some sand bags for the pumping station?

[Waterbuffalo]

I don't think Vancouver is sitting too bad off compared to Tillamook County/Astoria.. You don't want to here the stories from my friends over in those area? Vernonia and NW oregon was hit worse than Chehalis..

IF The local "Inquirer" wants to do some stories, go to NW Oregon to see what the Chehalis could become at Pe Ell or Aberdeen/Raymond area.

All that water in the Chehalis river has to go some where..

[Chief]

Vernonia got slammed along with a good sized chunk of Columbia County. All those people who built nice houses along the Nehalem river over there are definitely having second thoughts...

[Waterbuffalo]

Add to that the 80 to 100 mph that Warrenton/Astoria has gotten and you could say NW Oregon recently got a nice "Perfect Storm.."

[Chief]

Updating...

the County is announcing this afternoon that the Klineline Bridge is closed permanently, and until the County can find a way to replace it. According to the radio, the recent heavy rains seriously undermined the foundations even further.

Another thought problem for you... ask yourself: What would Rex Burkholder and Portland's Metro do to fix this??...

No link yet, but Developing...

[Waterbuffalo]

As far as I am concerned, why does this have any thing to do with Rex or the CRCP or Portland Metro? Its the Clark County's problem and if people want it fixed, they need to hold the commissioners accountable.

But it seems that the County does not feel its a major priority?

[Chief]

Obscure point alert.... my apologies...

I am referring to all of the time that Steve Stuart spends snuggled up with Rex, Metro, and the Bi-State Cooperation Committee, and their efforts to find a way to fund light rail with out any involvement by us. My point was to point out that Rex won't do anything about Klineline, and Clark County won't be able to if they give all of or bucks to Rex for light rail...

[Waterbuffalo]

Thanks for clearing up that point..