Desoto Bridge Closed

[Scrmegl]

For anyone in Saint Cloud this is a huge hassel.

Last night they closed the DeSoto bridge indefinitely. This is the main HWY 23 bridge going over the Mississippi in downtown ST Cloud (also known as Division St).

This article here (http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/NEWS01/103210035) says more details.

It was designed by the same group that did the 35W bridge and the gussets show 1/4 deflection that is unexplained. Probably no risk of collapse but they do not yet know if it can be repaired.

Here (http://www.sctimes.com/assets/pdf/DR103722321.PDF)is an interesting explanation of how the gusset plates work.

[sleepydsm]

Ok, lets get that bridgebuilder game going, and show the engineers how they should have built the bridge in the first place!

[Scrmegl]

haha that was the first thing I thought of when I was being detoured and looking over at the bridge design.

For you non article readers here is the Kare11 Video. (http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=65718&bw=)

[Black97civic]

My buddy lives about 2 blocks north of the bridge that is being used as a detour. His commute to school and work got considerably shittier. It sucks, but I would rather it be closed for repairs than being closed for a search and rescue operation...