What's the use?

[Subdivisions]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/04/us/04bridge.html?pagewanted=2&hp

States Across the Country Race to Inspect Bridges

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Here, Governor Pawlenty has ordered inspections of all bridges in the state, starting Friday, including more than 1,000 deemed “structurally deficient.” Officials say the designation “deficient” does not necessarily mean a bridge is dangerous or needs immediate replacement, but Mr. Pawlenty said the entire national system of “ratings and definitions” for bridges must now be reviewed from top to bottom.

In an interview, R. T. Rybak, the mayor of Minneapolis, said he was “deeply troubled” by the “warning signs” expressed in various inspections of the bridge here over the years.

“It’s too late for the victims in Minneapolis,” Mr. Rybak said. “It will be too late for others unless we finally get serious ab0out some of this crumbling infrastructure that many of us have been talking about for some time.”

Many in this city said they were looking at bridges with a wary eye now. “And they should,” the mayor said. “It is inexcusable that people driving their cars in a major American city should have to think twice about whether that bridge will collapse.”

What's the use? I mean, there are THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of old bridges in this country and scattered reports are indictating that they already know of THOUSANDS across the entire country with the same structurally defficient rating as the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. Also, why the rush to inspect bridges now? Are we to infer from inspectors' actions NOW that they've just been sitting around the office all day everday or have they been out inspecting all along as it is their job to do? One would hope so and if that indeed is the case, then bridge inspections should be up-to-date all over the place.

So why the sudden urgent inspections? And what if they find bridges that, as a result of the new inspections, need to be closed? Are they going to de-certify bridges that were re-certified only months ago? If so, why wasn't such a bridge closed BEFORE now?

One thing is absolutely clear. If this doesn't just get swept under the rug like 9/11, New Orleans, and the last few electoral coups, A LOT more questions are going to arise and A LOT of people are going to have some 'splainin' to do about why they are closing bridges today that just two months ago were re-certified.

One more thing. If there are indeed THOUSANDS of bridges in similar shape as the I-35W bridge was, how long are we going to have to white-knuckle it over them before there is finally funds to pay to either rehabilitate or rebuild them? We're talking BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars.

Inpections now? What's the use?