Bridge Collapses

Submitted by ub on

A bridge in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania has collapsed and hurt 10 on the same day @POTUS Joe Biden visits for infrastructure talks.

The collapse prompted rescuers to rappel nearly 150 feet while others formed a human chain to help save people from a bus. The Pittsburgh bridge crumbled early this morning just hours before President Biden was scheduled to visit the city to talk about the infrastructure bill. 

Lt. Gov. @JohnFetterman says the Pittsburgh bridge collapse shows President Joe Biden was "ahead of the curve" on infrastructure and the state will be able to rebuild. "We will have the resources available because of the infrastructure bill passed under his watch."

This 50-year-old bridge that collapsed in Pittsburgh had been rated as poor on a recent inspection report. But experts say there's a low risk of similar collapses in the more than 43,500 bridges rated as poor nationally. However. Republicans dropped the ball for four years.

POTUS gives infrastructure speech after visiting Pittsburgh bridge that collapsed and injured 10

There are more than 617,000 bridges across America. Currently, 42 percent of all bridges are decades old. 46,154, or 7.5 percent of the nation’s bridges, are considered structurally deficient, meaning they are in “poor” condition.

Unfortunately, 178 million trips are taken across these structurally deficient bridges every day. In recent years, though, as the average age of America’s bridges increases to 44 years, the number of structurally deficient bridges has continued to decline; however, the rate of improvements has slowed. A recent estimate for the nation’s backlog of bridge repair needs is $125 billion.

Following four lost years under a #GOP controlled government, it was up to the #Democrats to approve funding against the Will of #Republicans. We need to continue spending on bridge rehabilitation from $14.4 billion to $22.7 billion annually, or by 58 percent if we are to improve the condition. At the current rate of investment, it will take until 2071 to make all of the repairs that are currently necessary, and the additional deterioration over the next five decades will become overwhelming. The nation needs a continuous program for bridge preservation, whereby existing deterioration is prioritized and the focus is on preventive maintenance.

How did the #Republican member of Congress in Pennsylvania vote on the infrastructure bill? Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick was reportedly the lone PA House Republican to vote for the bill, and his party has made him suffer for it. Sen. Casey voted yes and Toomey was a no.

Biden visits Pittsburgh bridge collapse, vows more U.S. investment reut.rs/3Hbu9pn

Pittsburgh bridge collapse - live: Photos show dangling bus as at least 10 injured at Frick Park disaster https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pittsburgh-bridge-col…

10 hurt after Fern Hollow Bridge over Frick Park collapses https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2022/01/28/pittsburgh-bridge-co…

Please avoid the area of Forbes and Braddock for a confirmed bridge collapse. Fire, EMS, and Police responding. No reported injuries at this time. Updates will be provided.