I-35 bridge: initial stuff

[burnunit]

All okay in Olsen fam.

Locals: imho, best aerial footage appears to be on WCCO; good ground level coverage on FOX9.

Been seeing friends post and getting sms texts. So far so good.

NOTES
(mostly for non-locals who may not be getting direct feed info:)

• Bridge was down to 1 lane both ways, so it was much lighter traffic than usual.


• word on street is that construction being done was not structural but was on-surface stuff. MNDOT website noted "concrete rehabilitation" was planned during this construction. MN dept of trans.


• MNDOT cameras are reporting "no video" for that location
• the smoke you might be seeing in images was a Taystee bread truck which was on fire. There is report of a tanker truck on the scene that they're trying to keep people clear of. **edit: may have been tanker car like from a freight train.
• bridge was steel span under that concrete, for something like 400+ feet. now someone saying "diaphragms" connecting the steel might have heat fractured.
• bridge described as dropping straight away, no sign of explosions, implosions or anything.


• the school bus on the bridge had 60 kids. ~10 taken to hospital. Balance of kids held at Red Cross and are largely uninjured, cuts & bruises only (imagine your school bus falling 2-3 stories and you walking away). bus driver's husband: "my wife [is fine]... her knee is hurt."


• There was a Twins game-- one of my friends is at dome, and they asked fans to remain in the dome to keep traffic under control. Thurs. night's game and ballpark groundbreaking ceremony is postponed.


• There is some heavy weather moving in--winds 30-35, dark clouds and lightning, but not severe yet. Maybe a 20-30 min storm expected.

815 update:

• 1 fatality announced from HCMC. Cause of death is listed as Drowning. CNN declaring 3 fatalities.
• FOX9 has a bridge/engineering geek (I mean that in a generally good way) making comments: looking at photos he claims it doesn't look anything like a sabotage job or explosion. (btw, despite my initial positive reaction: fox9 is starting to get a little breathless for my taste. )
• 15 people so far reported at HCMC. 6 critical patients
• MPLS at "code orange"; All firefighters are summoned to report; people asked to stay off cell phones.
• Eyewitnesses: "loud sound and the bridge just disappeared"
• There was a freight train under the bridge. The pictures of that are really startling.
• note: the fire appears to be generally under control as of this time if you're seeing footage of a fire and/or smoke, that is not live footage by now!

830 update police are requesting "please no more civilian help on scene right now"

first donation hotline I've heard about: 612-460-3700

woman interviewed (looks familiar, sounds like a familiar name. also has a 3 month old daughter, but doesn't look like baby was with her?) walked away from the collapse, including having a pickup truck fall on her car. "free fall feeling. loud crash. guy helped me out of my car... had no idea a pickup truck had fallen on me. " "felt a fall. then another fall. we weren't moving. everything was just suspended in air. " abc 5 is getting kind of emotional too

Another friend just texted that he was at the Eagle when it happened and he's okay. (that's fairly close too)

(Gawd that steel looks frail in its fallen twisted state)

915 update:

• Mayor Rybak announces 6 deaths total


• 38 injuries so far.


• Light Rail is still running. (So use that! it's the coolest anyway)


• inspections in 04 and 06 found no immediate structural issues according to Governor. There was work on the bridge, including work on concrete and on joints in progress.


• It's pretty dark in Minneapolis now, so pretty much all tv images you're seeing are from tape.