Highway Collapse Spurs Bay Area Headache

Burning Fuel Truck Melts Section Of Heavily-Traveled Northern Calif. Freeway

(CBS/AP)  The promise of a nightmarish morning commute led many San Francisco Bay Area residents to use public transportation Monday, one day after a fiery tanker crash caused the collapse of a heavily-trafficked section of freeway.

An elevated section of highway that funnels traffic from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to a number of key freeways was destroyed early Sunday after flames from an overturned gasoline truck caused part of one overpass to melt and collapse onto another.

Traffic into the city was largely flowing as usual Monday morning, except for drivers slowing on nearby interchanges to peer at the damage. But officials warned the afternoon drive would bring bigger headaches.

The accident damages an essential interchange connecting the busy San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to three major freeways, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone. Locally it's known as "the MacArthur Maze" for good reason: it's a tangle of roadways and overpasses which 280,000 vehicles a day pass through on their way to and from the bridge.

On any weekday morning, traffic snarls on the approaches to the Bay Bridge, and Monday's jam did not appear worse than usual. But more severe delays were expected in the afternoon.

"The most worrisome thing is the afternoon commute coming out of San Francisco toward the maze," said Jeff Weiss, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation, "because the traffic from the Bay Bridge fans out from across three freeways. Taking away two-thirds of the capacity is really going to cause a bottleneck."

Authorities said the accident would cause the worst disruption for Bay Area commuters since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Bay Bridge itself.

In declaring a state of emergency, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized free transit Monday on the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system, ferries and buses. "On April 30 everyone here in the Bay Area will get a free ride," he said Sunday. "The State of California will reimburse the transportation agencies." BART will be adding extra trains during the rush hour and adding extra cars to its trains.

Parking lots at outlying BART stations like El Cerrito and Pittsburg-Baypoint filled up earlier than usual as commuters tried to beat the rush they imagined was coming.

"I'm mad," said Crystal McSwain, who has a commuter pass to take the trans-bay bus, but was taking BART — a more expensive option. "My life is upside down, and I don't know how long it's going to take."

While some trains appeared more crowded than usual, Bay Area Rapid Transit officials said overall ridership did not appear greater than normal as the Monday morning rush hour got under way. Riders were likely delaying their morning commute to avoid crowds, or staying home, BART spokesman Jim Allison said.

"If you didn't know what the situation was, you might just assume it was any other day," Allison said.

Leo Kay, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency, took a bus from the East Bay to his office in downtown San Francisco. Like other riders, he craned his neck to catch a view of the crumpled freeway as the bus approached the Bay Bridge.

"This is about the same as normal," he said of the traffic flow. "We'll see what the afternoon has in store."

Standing near the wreckage Sunday night the governor said the state will respond quickly to rebuild the freeway.

Schwarzenegger said he hoped the state will "cut through all the red tape and all the bureaucracy ... so we can get the work done as quickly as possible. After the Northridge earthquake it was within 60 days they rebuilt everything."

The 1994 Northridge quake in southern California damaged several sections of freeway in Los Angeles.

The governor's emergency declaration will help streamline contracting and environmental codes to hasten cleanup and rebuilding efforts, according to a statement.

California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said intense heat from the flames caused the steel beams holding up the roadway to buckle and bolts holding the structure together to melt. The cost of repairs would likely run into the tens of millions of dollars, and the agency was seeking federal disaster aid, Kempton said.

[roger_inkart]

Good Lord. One careless moron impacts the lives of millions. Maybe next time when you're driving around with a tanker of gas you should be more careful.

[talkingham]

Same thing happened in my city a while back. construction company then gets contract to repair with bonus if completed ahead of schedule. It's almost like a racket. Because we are a small market didn't make national news. I wonder how many of these happen every year.

[olebd]

I agree. Tanker trucks with explosive materials should adhere to a lower speed limits like school buses. Some of these truckers get a little too confident.

This could have been a lot worse.

[mbcsmith]

What's this? Intense heat melted the steel supporting the highway roadbed causing collapse? No way! It's a government conspiracy just like the WTC on 9/11.

[spicynugget]

No mention as to if Mosqueda is Muslim?

[jumkey]

Any mention as to whether piercey11 is a bigot?

[barbaraf4]

I don't see the "commuter nightmare". This highway exchange was doomed starting at ~3:45am on Sunday. This gave everyone at least 24 hours to plan today's route. I lived in the Bay Area for years and believe me, if you are willing to get up a little earlier, you can get to work. There are several other bridges and ferrys, or you can drive around the Bay. Those whose commute will be impacted most will be the ones who are being over-run by those who normally use the Bay Bridge. That could be scary. I would leave home two hours earlier and take a nap at my desk. For those who think this is unfair, well, you made the choice of where to live.

Also, I don't know how they keep saying the driver was the only injury. There was plenty of fire to go around and how do we know there were not cars trapped under or around him? If the fire melted the bridge, it had the power to melt a car.

[obiquital]

"What's this? Intense heat melted the steel supporting the highway roadbed causing collapse? No way! It's a government conspiracy just like the WTC on 9/11.
Posted by mbcsmith"
So the government blew up their own section of freeway so that they would have to spend time and money rebuilding it... righttttttttttttt that doesn't sound crazy or stupid at all...

[talkingham]

MCB the difference is that most of the jet fuel exploded on impact at the WTC and did not burn for hours and hours running down girdders (what a joke). Can you name any modern buildings other than the WTC have collapsed in pancake fashion due to fire in less than 90 minutes? And the 47-story building WT7 a block from the towers which was not hit by jet fuel- just happened to house the Port Authority and FBI also went down in pancake fashion. Funny the 911 commission didn't even mention one word about the 47-story building collapse. Just another Lee Hamilton whitewash just like he did with Iran Contra exonerating IA Chief Casey of any blame even though there were gobs of evidence. Try Consortium News.com for some real reproting sometime.

The conspiracy theory lives, along with the vehicles piled with gold that were found buried between the two towers.

[mbcsmith]

The conspiracy theory lives, along with the vehicles piled with gold that were found buried between the two towers.
Posted by talkingham at 10:37 AM : Apr 30, 2007

Gee, I don't know. 2 110 story buildings collapsing might cause some collateral damage. Ya think?

[bizzzz-2009]

Well what do you know...another example of fuel melting steel. I wonder if Rosie O Donnell thinks the government conspired to blow up the bridges in Oakland just like they did the towers, seeing how she's so adamant fuel can't melt steel.

[mitdgreenb]

Yes, I like the "fuel can't melt steel" argument. It's generally made by people who are too young to have ever seen the thermite reaction. That reaction used to be done in high school chemistry classes... and every day on rail lines to fix cracks in situ. But, unfortunately, it occasionally explodes making it too dangerous to show students or for OSHA.

Let's review. In the thermite reaction, a match is used to light a magnesium ribbon. The magnesium burns hot enough to then, in turn, ignite a mixture of aluminum power and an oxidizer. (Sound like a solid rocket booster? It should.) The ALUMINUM then burns hot enough to reduce rust... plain old iron oxide... and the resulting molten iron comes out of the bottom of the crucible. Liquid iron is marvelous for fixing trian tracks.

In the above... the key is that one thing ignites another which burns hot enough to ignite another. Consider... how much aluminum was in just the planes that crashed into the WTC?

[mitdgreenb]

And, in a bridge or building collapse, we're not talking about BURNING the steel. In fact, you don't even have to MELT the steel completely into a liquid. At a high temperature, well below the melting point, the steel will soften... still solid but not strong enough to withstand the pressure of the weight of the bridge.

[charlemaine1]

The government likes you people uneducated. Keep it up. DO forget you SAW the jet fuel dissipating in a huge blaze of fire on September eleventh. And, while you're at it, forget they DO spare expenses when building our highways. (...what's that you just called me?? Oh, you betcha!!)

[bernieb14]

I can't wait to hear Rosie's next excuse from her big fat pie hole, excusing the terrorists from 9/11!! She is such a liberal idiot!!!

[infidel_us]

Has Rosie O'Lardass accused Bush of this yet???

[bernieb14]

Isn't it funny that all the libs are staying away from this story and the melted steel 9/11 conspiracy theory? I'm surprised they are smart enough to realize how stupid their arguments would be.

[booyaw_77]

I have another theory. That wasn't gasoline. That was super-duper ultra secret mega high temperature burning fuel.

[antoniof123]

Why do you wing nuts have to make it political. This is a tragic and I know that fuel will cause metal to soften and even melt. That is not the issue if you would stop and think before you make sure comments you would realize that people are going to suffer and this is what is the real problem not some somke and mirror.

[oleander8]

[[Isn't it funny that all the libs are staying away from this story and the melted steel 9/11 conspiracy theory? I'm surprised they are smart enough to realize how stupid their arguments would be.
Posted by bernieb14]]

Anyone that can turn this into a political rant has a very vivid imagination. Not everthing is about politics.

[booyaw_77]

"I'm surprised they are smart enough to realize how stupid their arguments would be."

Let me ask ya something: If we had a war against potholes, like the republicans were supposed to have all along instead'a this... secret hidden stuff all the time thats really ultra-liberal, do you think we'd be in 2 wars, unbelievable debt, and with no one on our side post 9/11 right now? Or do ya think that this country's infrastructure is made outta rustless iron?

[booyaw_77]

"Praise Jesus!" "Fix de potholes!" "Politics is local!" "We don't nationbuild!"

Whose dat?

[random_radar]

"California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said intense heat from the flames caused the steel beams holding up the roadway to buckle and bolts holding the structure together to melt."

You can believe this uniformed opinion (or lie) if you want, but I will wait to hear the report of a competent structural engineer. Assuming the government allows one to assess the true causes of the collapse.

Just because one government official tells a lie to support another government official's lie doesn't mean you have heard the truth. Don't you think the government can see the opportunity to spin things? They are corrupt, not stupid.

[bernieb14]

Now all you whiny a$$ libs are saying "Why do we have to make it political?" Give me a break!! Your big time lib representative conspiracy theorists like Rosie O and MoveOn.org are the ones who politicized that our own government actually bombed the Trade Centers to start a war with Iraq. If that isn't politicizing, I don't know what is.

[bernieb14]

From NPR News:

Heat exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused the steel beams holding up the interchange above to buckle. Bolts holding the structure together also melted, leading to the collapse, California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said.

This ain't FOX!!

[booyaw_77]

"Now all you whiny a$$ libs are saying "Why do we have to make it political?" Give me a break!! Your big time lib representative conspiracy theorists like Rosie O and MoveOn.org are the ones who politicized that our own government actually bombed the Trade Centers to start a war with Iraq. If that isn't politicizing, I don't know what is."

What a bully doesn't realize is that he's a bully. He marches right in on the thermodynamics class.. And says: "YOU LISTEN TO ME!" "I'M IN CHARGE'A THIS HERE PLACE FROM NOW ON!" Not even see'n.. not even caring dat ders an experiment in anti-matter in the sink! "But sir!" They'll say. "SHUTUP!" "It's gonna explode, sir!" "SHUTUP! I'M IN CHARGE!"

[bernieb14]

booyaw_77

Can you please speak english!!

[booyaw_77]

There is something.. truly stupid about them. About a republican..

[talkingham]

Well not a one of you repub Bush supporters have named one other modern building in history that pancaked like the WTC and the 47-story building that wasn't struck by a jet. Not to mention the incredibly short burn time to the collapse.
Name one. Name one. Name one. Name one.
Name one. Name one. Name one. Name one.
Name one. Name one. Name one. Name one.
Name one. Name one. Name one. Name one.

[bernieb14]

HA!

I knew there would be an idiot still backing up the idiot Rosie O. talkingham is the one!!

Unbelievable!!

[booyaw_77]

If it reache 2,700 degrees, don't you think the tar would melt?

[bernieb14]

booyaw_77

Go weave a basket or something!!

[booyaw_77]

I'll tell ya why that bridge broke: Standards. The supreme court has gotta step in here and do something about this. "STANDARDS!" We have standards we place upon our civilian contractors in their construction. No! Its not a relative of Cheney's. It's a code. A code that says: This is how ya build a road!

Where's Tome Dalay.. SOMEONE GIT TOM DELAY IN HERE! He'll tell yaz..

[nolalou]

talkingham,

I don't have to Name One, but I can name ONE F_ING IDIOT WHO BELIVES EVRY HALF ASSED CONSPIRACY THRORY TO COME ALONG.. it's you ******! Just look in the nearest mirror! (and NO, I'm not a Bushie Republican!)

[bernieb14]

booyaw_77

Remember, this is Pelosi/Lib country you're talking about, but I'm sure all you libs will try to spin it in a way that it's Bush's fault. Sort of like Katrina!!

[booyaw_77]

Hohohohoho.. don't git me started on Katrina. All those vets overseas? Fighting stupid wars? At a lunatic's president's whim? Ya think *** many people woulda suffered right here at home if we had the national guard to keep that chandra levy from breaking? Uh-uh.

"We gotta go to war with Iraq." He said. Right after: "We don't nationbuild."

Great job pissy.

[bernieb14]

booyaw_77

You must be from bayou country the way to communicate!! Your not making much sense!!

[nolalou]

Further information to debunk all the 9/11 conspiracy theories:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1227842.html?page=5

[booyaw_77]

This is how they taught me to spell in the "college of Karl Rove Baptist Politics School of Medicine".

[booyaw_77]

.. you should see what deyz told me about ***-ed.

[sugarmice-2009]

this is bad BUT not as bad as Loma Prieta in 1989.. that was something .. and NOT A WARNING.. just shake rattle and drop.... at least with this everyone had advance notice and could make alternative plans - and it isn't a huge section of the bridge like the earthquake caused BUT the bay area is used to disasters and they will recover just like they did before...
Fortunately it didn't happen during rush hour because if it had we'd have a major disaster on our hands.. but we will survive = we also bounce back - that's one of the good things about the bay area...

[booyaw_77]

Its things like dis dat make me call french fries "piece'a shyyyt taters".

[passerby2]

The questions surrounding the collaspe of the twin towers are not conspiracy theories, they are logical question that has been ignored. How can anyone who've seen the 9/11 mystery video, not raise an eyebrow to the events of the 9/11 attack?

[kevboom]

Well, the people of San Fran can take heart that at least the California department of transportation knows how to rebuild an interstate quickly (60 day repairs following Northridge quake). In North Carolina, our department of transportation run by Billy Bob Bubba's second cousin twice removed can't add a lane to a 7-mile stretch of I-40 through Chapel Hill and Durham in less than 3-4 years time, and the road is completely flat with virtually zero bridges. And I'm not kidding about the 3-4 year thing. Oh, and did I mention they paved it wrong, so after opening the road last year, they're closing it down again this spring to repave the whole thing? Great fun. At least your bridge will be fixed in two months. Inept has nothing on a southern department of transportation. Come to think of it, Chicago is a joke as well. Maybe it's an east coast thing.

[charlemaine1]

LOOK....the dang overpass just Shape-Shifted ! (lightening things up with a little humor)

[sugarmice-2009]

OR perhaps we have more disasters and are used to rebuilding... whatever it may be DON'T see where this has anything remotely close to 9/11 -
sometimes I wonder why some of you get on to post - keep to the original story please - if not, then email each other your gripes. This is NON POLITICAL and NON 9/11....
some guy lost control and slammed a bridge, and we found that fire does melt steel.. but then again - we all know that if you grew up in iron ore mining ares.... it's not top secret...
so we move on - commuters find a different way to get to work, the guys get out there and start cleaning up and rebuilding and in a couple months we'll all be back to normal. As normal as the bay area can get ... GO SHARKS

[booyaw_77]

Fires not supposed to melt steel. Not real steel anyway. I think this is a vast recycled steel conspiracy.

[booyaw_77]

Well, we're not going to have to worry about this stuff too much longer. Pretty soon the republicans will be kicked outta office and in jail in Holland. And we'll have hydrogen burning engines running off of "pink gup". Ya think I'm kidding? Fer real! "Pink gup". Ya see, a gas tank in your car right now would have to be 3,000 times bigger than it is now to get the same mileage outta gasoline as it does outta hydrogen. Thats why the "pink gup", see. Automobile (and not just automobile, jets, planes, boats, lawn mowers, name it) fuel is going to be made outta this substance that holds hydrogen atoms inert in a compact stasis. And as it turns out, you could throw a match on the stuff and it wouldn't burn. The cars of the future are going to have this.. well ironically its called a "catalytic converter".. that adds a special catalyst chemical to the "pink gup" and BAM! The hydrogen is released right into the cylinders. And its not going to have to be no tank 3,000 times bigger neither. Its gonna be just the same size. Even smaller..

And even more irony is the fact that this chemical reaction that releases the hydrogen atoms from the pink gup produces a by-product: poop. Our cars are gonna poop again..

[booyaw_77]

But think about it: No more gas fires. No more explosions. No more planes crash landing and then blowing up and burning. No more Crown Victorias blowing up when someone rear-ends them. No more Pintos. Hydrogen fuel has even more explosive torque to it than gasoline does. Means more horsepower. More efficiency. The future looks bright! And guess what comes out the tailpipe..

Yer not gonna believe this. Guess what comes out the tailpipe?

Water.

[charlemaine1]

God, Allah, whomever..help us when a Crashed Car can TAKE OUT A BRIDGE. Too much nepotism going on in this world. Inept sons in law building bridges and overpasses, etc.