Twin Cities members...

[timer lady]

please check in..there was a collapse of the I35W freeway bridge crossing the Mississippi in Minneapolis. There are no confirmed injury numbers or confirmed deaths.

Just want to make sure you're all okay.

 

[busywend]

I briefly saw a picture of a collapsed bridge on the news, but I was on the phone and missed the who, what, where, why and when.

What happened???

 

[timer lady]

Busy - no one seems to know. Homeland Security updated & said it wasn't a terrorist threat.

It will remain a mystery for the time being.

 

[busywend]

I will keep my eyes out for the story to replay.

 

[stepmonster]

I'm not up there. It's on I35W, north of the cities, I can't use my cell phone and I'm way down South of the cities!!
It's a forty year old bridge, under construction, down to one lane, thirty cars involved. It's quite a distance, 2000 plus feet.
Tons of help on scene, lots of hospitals in the area.

 

[On_Call]

I just got off NBC news channel - my in-laws live in Maplewood, MN and my Mom left us a message regarding the collapse while we were out tonight. husband says this bridge is on the opposite side of the city, but I suggested he call to check on his family - but he wouldn't call tonight. His logic is that if something had happened to one of them - if they were involved - they would have called us. Jeesh - talk about a skewed thought process.

Horrible tragedy. The footage is scary to watch - seems surreal.

 

[Wiped Out]

What a terrible tragedy. I hope all our board members are safe. I just emailed my sister-she lives in the area but about 30 minutes north of the Cities. It would be doubtful she would have been in the area at that time of the early evening. Saying a prayer for all the families involved.

 

[Hound dog]

An awful tragedy. :frown:

I'm also saying prayers that board members in the area are safe and sound, and additional prayers for those involved.

 

[Wiped Out]

I just received an email from my sister. She said they are fine but had considered going to the Twins game and would have had to cross the bridge around that time if she had gone. I'm very thankful she passed.

She wrote that she drove over that bridge for 15 years every day to and from work (she switched jobs about a year ago). She said there were many times when she was stuck in rush hour on that bridge and she used to wonder what would happen if it collapsed. She said people used to tell her she was crazy for having that thought.

 

[stepmonster]

They're saying this bridge was categorized "structurally deficient". Then our Governor says that federally, there are 80,000 bridges in America that fall under that category!!!!

 

[Just keep swimming]

Gosh, when I heard of this tragedy, I immediately worried about our family members here on the board who live in the area. What a horrible thing to happen.

When we had the huge earthquake some years back, it was awful when the bridge collapsed. My parents in law lived just miles from the epi center and their home was moved 4 feet off the foundation. It took years and years for it to get rebuilt.

I cannot imagine the horror of sitting in my car on a bridge and having that happen. Scary!!!!

Prayers to all who were involved.

Hugs,
Vickie

 

[DammitJanet]

Have we verified that the Coookie family is ok?

I think I remember this bridge from a trip I made out to that area in 2000. How scary!

I am already pretty terrified of bridges and hate driving on them. There are two that really get me: The George Washington Bridge in NY and this long, high bridge in Delaware. Makes me hate driving north on 95...lol. I got stuck in traffic once on the GWB and we sat there for almost 45 minutes while I was surrounded by trucks and cars. I was on the lower deck and the bridge seemed to sway and rumble. I was simply terrified that it was going to collapse and was just about ready to get out of my car and walk to safety when the cars started moving...lol. Can you imagine the traffic jam I would have caused if I left a car in the middle of the GWB?

 

[TerryJ2]

This is everyone's worst nightmare. The people who ignored the structural warnings should be punished. (You know what would happen to them in China!)
I was born and raised in the Twin Cities, and have driven over that bridge many times. Ironically, it seems as though the work being done on it had nothing to do with-the structural integrity.

I tried calling my sister last night but the ph lines were jammed. (No surprise there.) She emailed today and things seem to be okay on our end.

But not all the reports are in.
So sad.