(Lake Champlain) Bridge may be imploded before lake freezes over

[question everything]

Vermont Transportation officials say the "chances are good" the deteriorated Lake Champlain bridge could be dropped into the water with explosives before the lake freezes over.

Transportation Agency spokesman John Zicconi says the pieces of the bridge between Addison, Vt., and Crown Point would then be removed for disposal.

The bridge was closed last month after engineers determined it was unsafe. Meanwhile, construction has begun in Crown Point on an approach to a temporary ferry crossing between the two states.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=869672&category=STATE#ixzz0Y73usFTm

On NBC News. Ferry is moving people around, however it may not be possible for too long. And the bridge connects people to a hospital..

[Barack_America]

1. We've really let our infrastructure go.

All for useless wars and "Homeland Security".

[cali]

3. The bridge is 80 years old and evidently it's initial engineering and construction

left something to be desired. In this case, wars and homeland security don't have much to do with failure of the structure.

[question everything]

4. Unless wars and homeland security siphoned away funds

that otherwise could have been used for a routine check and early demolishing of the bridge.

I don't know. But we do know that taking care of infrastructure in the past decade, or so, got lower priority.

[Thothmes]

9. The bridge is 80 years old. The U.S. Govt

has no legal responsibility for the maintainence of the structure. What foreigh wars and homeland security funds have been spent has no bearing on the condition of the bridge. The structure were is the responsibility of NY state and Vermont state to maintain.

[greennina]

5. Why are you parroting the Repuke party line?

It wasn't shored-up because of the Bush War.

[cali]

6. the only thing I'm parroting is what a friend of mine who's a structural engineer told me

man, I get tired of the phenomenally stupid as reflected in your idiot accusation.

[greennina]

7. Is your friend a Repuke?

Because he certainly sounds like one. You really should be more careful who you spend time with.

[theoldman]

2. If they drop it now they will have to wait until Spring to remove it.

It all depends on how cold it gets and how much ice occurs.

[question everything]

8. Either way, there is nothing they can do until Spring

so now it is closed.

They apparently are looking to Minnesota to see how quickly the bridge over the 35W was replaced. And they worked literally around the clock, even in the very cold Minnesota winter.

Of course, they did not have to worry about a lake, only a relatively narrow river at that point.