| Subject: Concrete shakes loose from Okla. bridges |
Author:
Jackie Juntti
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Date Posted: 08:16:25 02/23/09 Mon
A couple thoughts as I read this - One is that this is on I-35 (same as the bridge collapse in the Twin Cities) which is the intended route for the NAFTA Highway. Any and all deterioration can be an excuse to REDO I-35 to the NAFTA specs.
My other though has to do with the entire DOT system - nationally and state level. We a system that was set up to build these roads which was then followed by TAXES and FEE'S to **maintain** them. What happened along the way was those in the government offices that were charged with the maintenance took the money to increase the size of their bureaucracy and to set a wage system for the hierarchy that kept pace with the cost of living, increasing taxes and fees along the way to maintain the WAGES while ignoring the highways and bridges. Those appointed to head the individual D.O.T.'s have drawn a more than healthy salary but as we all can see, the things they were charged with operating were far down the list of priorities.
Now we have everyone screaming about the poor shape of the highways and bridges and demanding that something be done. A little late to be noticing that the MONEY that was supposedly dedicated to the HIGHWAYS & BRIDGES has flown the coop to feather the nests of political hacks. Now it is a big topic with AKA to promote his STIMULUS PELOSI (BS).
Jackie Juntti
WGEN idzrus@earthlink.net
If you have comments please make them on the WGEN board: http://www.voy.com/19385/
http://www.star-telegram.com/448/story/1218019.html
Posted on Sun, Feb. 22, 2009
Concrete shakes loose from Okla. bridges
By RICHARD GREEN
Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY -- In 2004, a football-sized piece of concrete fell from a bridge and crashed through Yvonna Osborn's windshield while she was driving home on Interstate 35.
The 52-year-old Irving, Texas, mother of two died of massive head injuries and state transportation workers quickly began examining bridges statewide to see if any other structures were in danger of shedding deadly chunks.
But, in a state where a quarter of the bridges are structurally deficient, it's hard to predict when the next piece of deteriorating concrete will shake free.
In the 4 1/2 years since Osborn's death 50 miles south of Oklahoma City, more than two dozen other people have filed claims against the state, saying their cars were also hit by pieces of crumbling bridges in Oklahoma, according to information the state provided to The Associated Press under an open records request.
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