Sagging union built Green Bay, Wisconsin, bridge snarls traffic

[Julio Kerry]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/wisconsin-bridge-sagging/?hpt=hp_t2

(CNN) -- Call it the "cheese dip."

A 400-foot section of the Leo Frigo Bridge -- named after a late Wisconsin
cheese scion -- suddenly sagged Wednesday, forcing police to close off the
span that carries Interstate 43 over the Fox River some 120 feet below.

"There's a part that's sagging," a motorist told an incredulous 911
operator, according to recordings posted by CNN affiliate WLUK.

"A part that's sagging?" the operator asked.

"Instead of a bump, it's a dip," the driver said.

It appears that one of the piers holding up the bridge sank about 2 feet
into the ground, Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Wednesday.

The bridge, which carries 40,000 cars a day, will be closed indefinitely,
state officials said.

"We understand the disruption this is going to cause to traffic,"
Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb told reporters Wednesday.

The bridge was built in 1980 and last inspected in August 2012, declared
sound and renovated shortly thereafter, said Kim Rudat, regional
communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The closure comes as an unwelcome addition to the city's traffic
headaches, motorist Dennis Kelln of Green Bay told WLUK.

"It's a big hassle, because of all the construction that's going around
town," he said. "The downtown bridge was closed for how long? Now this one
is out? It's just like it's a never-ending problem here."

It could be worse, of course.

State officials say the bridge is in no danger of collapsing like the
Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington,
this spring.

In that incident, a tractor-trailer struck a support on the bridge, which
had been rated "functionally obsolete," sending several cars plunging into
the river below. No one died, but three people were taken to the hospital
for treatment.

The Wisconsin bridge is named after Leo Frigo, who ran Frigo Cheese Corp.
until his retirement in 1983. A former member of Roman Catholic religious
orders, he was well-known in the area for his work with ex-convicts and
for founding a Green Bay food pantry, according to his official biography
on the pantry's website. He died in 2001.

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Post by Julio Kerry
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/wisconsin-bridge-sagging/?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- Call it the "cheese dip."
A 400-foot section of the Leo Frigo Bridge -- named after a late Wisconsin
cheese scion -- suddenly sagged Wednesday, forcing police to close off the
span that carries Interstate 43 over the Fox River some 120 feet below.
"There's a part that's sagging," a motorist told an incredulous 911
operator, according to recordings posted by CNN affiliate WLUK.
"A part that's sagging?" the operator asked.
"Instead of a bump, it's a dip," the driver said.
It appears that one of the piers holding up the bridge sank about 2 feet
into the ground, Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge, which carries 40,000 cars a day, will be closed indefinitely,
state officials said.
"We understand the disruption this is going to cause to traffic,"
Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge was built in 1980 and last inspected in August 2012, declared
sound and renovated shortly thereafter, said Kim Rudat, regional
communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The closure comes as an unwelcome addition to the city's traffic
headaches, motorist Dennis Kelln of Green Bay told WLUK.
"It's a big hassle, because of all the construction that's going around
town," he said. "The downtown bridge was closed for how long? Now this one
is out? It's just like it's a never-ending problem here."
It could be worse, of course.
State officials say the bridge is in no danger of collapsing like the
Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington,
this spring.
In that incident, a tractor-trailer struck a support on the bridge, which
had been rated "functionally obsolete," sending several cars plunging into
the river below. No one died, but three people were taken to the hospital
for treatment.
The Wisconsin bridge is named after Leo Frigo, who ran Frigo Cheese Corp.
until his retirement in 1983. A former member of Roman Catholic religious
orders, he was well-known in the area for his work with ex-convicts and
for founding a Green Bay food pantry, according to his official biography
on the pantry's website. He died in 2001.

That pretty much tells you we're wasting money on bridge inspections.


"A motorist called into 911"

[Brent]

Post by BeamMeUpScotty

Post by Julio Kerry
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/wisconsin-bridge-sagging/?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- Call it the "cheese dip."
A 400-foot section of the Leo Frigo Bridge -- named after a late Wisconsin
cheese scion -- suddenly sagged Wednesday, forcing police to close off the
span that carries Interstate 43 over the Fox River some 120 feet below.
"There's a part that's sagging," a motorist told an incredulous 911
operator, according to recordings posted by CNN affiliate WLUK.
"A part that's sagging?" the operator asked.
"Instead of a bump, it's a dip," the driver said.
It appears that one of the piers holding up the bridge sank about 2 feet
into the ground, Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge, which carries 40,000 cars a day, will be closed indefinitely,
state officials said.
"We understand the disruption this is going to cause to traffic,"
Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge was built in 1980 and last inspected in August 2012, declared
sound and renovated shortly thereafter, said Kim Rudat, regional
communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The closure comes as an unwelcome addition to the city's traffic
headaches, motorist Dennis Kelln of Green Bay told WLUK.
"It's a big hassle, because of all the construction that's going around
town," he said. "The downtown bridge was closed for how long? Now this one
is out? It's just like it's a never-ending problem here."
It could be worse, of course.
State officials say the bridge is in no danger of collapsing like the
Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington,
this spring.
In that incident, a tractor-trailer struck a support on the bridge, which
had been rated "functionally obsolete," sending several cars plunging into
the river below. No one died, but three people were taken to the hospital
for treatment.
The Wisconsin bridge is named after Leo Frigo, who ran Frigo Cheese Corp.
until his retirement in 1983. A former member of Roman Catholic religious
orders, he was well-known in the area for his work with ex-convicts and
for founding a Green Bay food pantry, according to his official biography
on the pantry's website. He died in 2001.

That pretty much tells you we're wasting money on bridge inspections.
"A motorist called into 911"

The failure was the ground under the bridge's structure. The bridge
itself is/was fine. The ground that supports the bridge not so much.

[grinder]

Post by Brent

Post by BeamMeUpScotty

Post by Julio Kerry
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/wisconsin-bridge-sagging/?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- Call it the "cheese dip."
A 400-foot section of the Leo Frigo Bridge -- named after a late Wisconsin
cheese scion -- suddenly sagged Wednesday, forcing police to close off the
span that carries Interstate 43 over the Fox River some 120 feet below.
"There's a part that's sagging," a motorist told an incredulous 911
operator, according to recordings posted by CNN affiliate WLUK.
"A part that's sagging?" the operator asked.
"Instead of a bump, it's a dip," the driver said.
It appears that one of the piers holding up the bridge sank about 2 feet
into the ground, Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge, which carries 40,000 cars a day, will be closed indefinitely,
state officials said.
"We understand the disruption this is going to cause to traffic,"
Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge was built in 1980 and last inspected in August 2012, declared
sound and renovated shortly thereafter, said Kim Rudat, regional
communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The closure comes as an unwelcome addition to the city's traffic
headaches, motorist Dennis Kelln of Green Bay told WLUK.
"It's a big hassle, because of all the construction that's going around
town," he said. "The downtown bridge was closed for how long? Now this one
is out? It's just like it's a never-ending problem here."
It could be worse, of course.
State officials say the bridge is in no danger of collapsing like the
Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington,
this spring.
In that incident, a tractor-trailer struck a support on the bridge, which
had been rated "functionally obsolete," sending several cars plunging into
the river below. No one died, but three people were taken to the hospital
for treatment.
The Wisconsin bridge is named after Leo Frigo, who ran Frigo Cheese Corp.
until his retirement in 1983. A former member of Roman Catholic religious
orders, he was well-known in the area for his work with ex-convicts and
for founding a Green Bay food pantry, according to his official biography
on the pantry's website. He died in 2001.

That pretty much tells you we're wasting money on bridge inspections.
"A motorist called into 911"

The failure was the ground under the bridge's structure. The bridge
itself is/was fine. The ground that supports the bridge not so much.

It's all infrastructure.

[PrecisionmachinisT]

Post by Julio Kerry
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/wisconsin-bridge-sagging/?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- Call it the "cheese dip."
A 400-foot section of the Leo Frigo Bridge -- named after a late Wisconsin
cheese scion -- suddenly sagged Wednesday, forcing police to close off the
span that carries Interstate 43 over the Fox River some 120 feet below.
"There's a part that's sagging," a motorist told an incredulous 911
operator, according to recordings posted by CNN affiliate WLUK.
"A part that's sagging?" the operator asked.
"Instead of a bump, it's a dip," the driver said.
It appears that one of the piers holding up the bridge sank about 2 feet
into the ground, Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge, which carries 40,000 cars a day, will be closed indefinitely,
state officials said.
"We understand the disruption this is going to cause to traffic,"
Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb told reporters Wednesday.
The bridge was built in 1980 and last inspected in August 2012, declared
sound and renovated shortly thereafter, said Kim Rudat, regional
communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The closure comes as an unwelcome addition to the city's traffic
headaches, motorist Dennis Kelln of Green Bay told WLUK.
"It's a big hassle, because of all the construction that's going around
town," he said. "The downtown bridge was closed for how long? Now this one
is out? It's just like it's a never-ending problem here."
It could be worse, of course.
State officials say the bridge is in no danger of collapsing like the
Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington,
this spring.
In that incident, a tractor-trailer struck a support on the bridge, which
had been rated "functionally obsolete," sending several cars plunging into
the river below. No one died, but three people were taken to the hospital
for treatment.
The Wisconsin bridge is named after Leo Frigo, who ran Frigo Cheese Corp.
until his retirement in 1983. A former member of Roman Catholic religious
orders, he was well-known in the area for his work with ex-convicts and
for founding a Green Bay food pantry, according to his official biography
on the pantry's website. He died in 2001.