The Katrinafication of America…

We are warned that many of our bridges and tunnels are long overdue for maintenance.


Engineers who conduct inspections typically rate the performance of the bridges and tunnels from a 1 to a 10.

We are also informed by the ranks of specialists in bridge engineering and maintenance, that about ten percent of inspectors really know their craft which does not add to one’s confidence when you are crossing say the four mile Chesapeake Bridge…

And depending on who you talk to, the bridge that collapsed yesterday received a 4 or 5 rating. That means the engineering team that inspected the bridge uncovered something that needed attention whether it was corrosion, or cracking or something else.

Unfortunately, nobody did anything about it…

And while a 4 rating on the basis of 9 as the high end should not raise concerns, the fact is that the bridge collapsed.

Therefore, the engineers must go back and see where they miscalculated. Or, alternatively, go back to the all bridges they gave a less than say a 6 rating to and reinspect them immediately for problems…

Dan McNichol, author of the Roads That America Built, who writes about bridges and tunnels, admits that approximately one-third of the bridges and tunnels may require extensive maintenance…

This comments from various authorities are not encouraging…

The question is why when there are benchmarks that provide taxpayer funding to build bridges to nowhere, we can’t do what is necessary to assure Americans that the bridges we cross are safe.

We’ll take our answers off the air….

Les Aaron
The Armchair Curmudgeon
Sponsor of the Committee for Positive Change…

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