FEMA head: Twin Span is gone= Bridge between NO and Slidell

[steve2470]

Supposedly entire bridge was washed away by a huge storm surge.


<snip>The I-10 bridge over the lake is called “The Twin Spans.” <snip>

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:uKODi0txbncJ:www.worthwhilemag.com/entry/2004/04/08/drive_time.php+%22Twin+Spans%22&hl=en

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. What's Twin Span?

[steve2470]

2. a major major bridge in the area nt

[kestrel91316]

3. I believe this refers to the bridge on I-10 between NO and Slidell,

goes across the narrow part of Lake Pontchartrain. If they lost the freeway bridge, that's A BIG DEAL. Sort of like then the Delmarva Bridge across the mouth of Chesapeake Bay got wiped out years ago. Major commuter nightmare for years.

[steve2470]

6. I think you're right nt

[SaveAmerica]

9. Yes that's the info I read..

I-10 bridge 'severely damaged'
Monday
10:12 p.m.

By Ed Anderson
and Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau

Sections of the Interstate 10 twin bridges linking St. Tammany and Orleans parishes over Lake Pontchartrain have been “severely damaged’’ in both directions, some probably knocked out, Louisiana's highway boss said.

“It is just like in Florida,’’ Johnny Bradberry, secretary of transportation and development, said, referring to damage caused by Hurricane Ivan last year to the I-10 bridge in the Florida Panhandle.

Bradberry said he will send crews to fly over the site today to assess damages.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Brown called Katrina one of the worst disasters he has seen, exceeded only by California wildfires.

“This is a catastrophic storm,’’ he said. “People will not get back to their homes for several weeks – if not longer.’’

Lt. Kevin Cowan, a spokesman for the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said the only confirmed deaths have been three New Orleans area nursing home residents who died while being transported or after arriving at shelters in Baton Rouge.

Cowan said communications with St, Tammany Parish has been spotty and little is known of the number of persons rescued from that area.

He said said at least 31,000 evacuees were still hunkered down in shelters in south Louisiana, and 917,000 households were without power in 23 south
Louisiana parishes.

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/

[redacted]

19. This is the causeway, no? It's been so long since I've been there. NT

[tuckdogg]

28. Nope

No. The causeway runs straight north of New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain. It connects New Orleans to St. Tammany Parish. The Twin Spans is the I-10 bridge on the east shore of the Lake. It connects New Orleans to the city of Slidell, which is currently completely submerged.

[SaveAmerica]

4. One of the pages I checked out said I-10 isn't safe either.

[Sgent]

5. Twin span

Is the major artery between Slidell and NOLA for those going east or northeast (atlanta, BHM, etc.)

Three major roads lead out of the "Bowl" of NOLA -- the twin span, the causeway, and the I-10 West route to Baton Rouge. This is more than 1/3 of transportation into/out of New Orleans.

[KamaAina]

7. between Slidell and east N.O. I-10. This is bad.

This is really bad. There is only one other road into N.O. from the east, the two-lane US 11.

The way around this would ne to take 1-12 west to Mandeville and cross over the Causeway -- miles out of the way (hopefully they will have the sense to take the toll off the Causeway for the duration).

Repeat: This is really, really bad and could take years to fix.

[starroute]

8. Is that the sort of causeway across Lake Pontchartrain?

My husband lived in Slidell for a couple of years as a pre-schooler and has vague memories of it that he's told me about from time to time. (This was during World War II, when his dad was doing war work down there.) It sounds like some of the worst devastation was in that area.

[KamaAina]

11. No, the Causeway goes straight across the lake to the north

Mandeville to Metairie. It's the longest bridge in the world (of course the lake is only 15 feet deep).

[steve2470]

10. Exact nature of destruction is not confirmed yet but the initial

message was " The Twin Span is gone ". Not damaged or any other word.

[Nikki Stone 1]

12. It means that St Tammany is cut off from NO except for Causeway

?

[Elwood P Dowd]

13. Are you saying

if I want to visit NOLA again (I live in Southeast Alabama), when I get to Slidell the damn bridge is gone? Do you realize how many people from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and other points east use that? Damn!!!

[Sgent]

14. Illustration I just worked up

"

[CottonBear]

16. Holy shit.Our family is in Lacombe/St Tammany Parrish/Pearl River/Slidell.

This is catastrophic. Mr. CottonBear is a NO native. His family is there on the Northshore. Damn. He saw ont he earlier news that I-10 into NO was flooded. Hwy 90 (NO to Gulfport) is GONE: washed away according to Haley Barbour (R Gov. MS) I saw this on the news briefing earlier today.

We haven't had communication w/ family since this AM. They stayed in Lacombe. :(

[crispini]

17. There are a lot of people waiting for word

:hug:

[CottonBear]

20. I see you've posted on the weather forum. It's the only real news.

Do you live/have family on Northshore? I am very scared. Why can't they send help to St. Tammany from the north or west? I am very upset. I hope they decided to evac instead of stay like they palnned to yesterday. They haven't had a direct hit since Betsy in 1969.

:scared:

[crispini]

21. That forum is the best.

My relatives are in Washington parish. Just a bit farther north. Should be OK, I am just keeping fingers crossed. Hope all of yours are OK. :hug:

[CottonBear]

24. Thanks. Hope your family is OK too. Pray for the survivors. :hug: n/t

[redacted]

22. Thnx. Now I remember. Spent 16 days there in 1987. Foggy bottom now.

My head that is. . . what a tragedy this whole thing is.

[steve2470]

15. Confirmation by the mayor

Mayor Ray Nagin reports the Twin Span Bridge is "totally destroyed" and that 80% of the city is underwater. Click for streaming video.

per WWL TV web site

http://www.wwltv.com/

[WiseButAngrySara]

18. 80% of Slidell is underwater? This is so sad.........n/t

[Dover]

26. Is this the bridge that got rammed by the huge oil platform that

got loose from its moorings in the storm? ABC News (or was it Nightline?) showed the accident. The platform was in port for repairs and got loose and took out the bridge. An amazing sight.

[Oilwellian]

23. This isn't good

I have relatives in Slidell and they live about two miles from the lake. It's my understanding Slidell is in chest deep water from the lake to Old Spanish Trail and my sister-inlaws house is part of that. It also means thousands of other homes. I lived there for over 10 years and can't begin to imagine the devastation if the water is that far inland. VERY expensive homes in gated communities that are right ON the water. When I drove through there this past summer, I shuddered at the thought of their getting hit by a hurricane.

Also, there's an old bridge that parallel's the twin span and I wonder if it survived. It'd be a nightmare for I10 traffic since it's only two lanes but at least there is an alternate connection between the two shores.

It's just hard to imagine the twin span gone. It was a huge bridge. That had to be one hell of a surge to take it out. I hope everyone evacuated from that area.

[KeepItReal]

27. I hope your relatives are safe.

Best of luck to them.

[lpbk2713]

25. " ..... at least 31,000 evacuees were still hunkered down"

Was the term "hunkered down" ever used in common conversation until last year's Florida hurricanes? I don't recall hearing it, if so.

How does one actually "hunker"?

Or is it possible to merely "hunker" without "hunkering down"?

Can one possibly "hunker up"?

Are some people better at "hunkering" than others?

I just don't know.

[DaDeacon]

29. I guess hunkering ...

is something you do only when needed ? This post is proof that saddness and humor can exists without it being irony!