Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 3, 2007 OHIO RIVER BRIDGE AT CAIRO

The "Kentucky Bridge" between Cairo and Wicklyffe has a design similar to the bridge that collapsed this week in Minneapolis. IDOT officials have confidence in the safety of the bridge, but are reinspecting it (and all others) in light of Wednesday's tragedy.

From the Southern Illinoisan...

IDOT officials inspecting safety of state's bridges

by Blackwell Thomas, The Southern

In response to Wednesday's bridge collapse in Minneapolis, state officials are inspecting bridges across Illinois to ensure that a similar disaster could not happen here.

In Southern Illinois, state Department of Transportation officials are inspecting 10 bridges that cross the Wabash, Mississippi and Ohio rivers. IDOT officials say the inspection effort will be completed in a couple of days.

"We have confidence in the bridge inspections we've conducted to date but, in light of the accident, we want to do everything in our power to ensure safety," said Mary Lamie, a deputy director for IDOT in Carbondale. "We are in the process of visually inspecting all major river bridge crossings today."

The bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi in Minneapolis was built using a deck truss design in which the steel support structure is below the pavement of the bridge. Lamie said there are two bridges in Southern Illinois using a similar design - the New Harmony bridge on Illinois 14 east of Carmi at the Indiana border and another at U.S. 51 that crosses over the Ohio River in Cairo.

Closer to Carbondale, heavily traveled bridges such as those crossing Crab Orchard Lake on Illinois 13 and Rend Lake on Illinois 154 should not concern motorists, IDOT engineer Carrie Nelson said.

"These are typical structures that have steel beams running from pier to pier," she said. "That's a very reliable structure type used throughout the United States."

IDOT engineers, who inspect all of the state's bridges at least once every two years, will review their findings before beginning more thorough inspections in the coming weeks.

"Detailed inspections require traffic control to be set up; equipment has to go under and on top of the bridge," Lamie said.

David Phelps, assistant secretary for IDOT, said the collapse in Minneapolis is proof that safety should be the first priority in bridge construction and maintenance.

"What happened there does and should make us take notice to make us proactive rather than reactive to safety concerns," the Southern Illinois native said. "Anytime there is a disaster anywhere, let alone in a neighboring state, it just makes us more aware of this."

Phelps added: "The number one thing we tell our employees when we build infrastructure is to be sure it's safe; they will be carrying your family and mine."

Southern Illinois AAA spokesman Mike Right said he has not heard from any concerned motorists but added that they should still feel safe traveling over bridges in the area.

"Obviously these things don't happen every day, every month; they are rare occurrences," he said. "I wouldn't be overly concerned about crossing a bridge."