From the outbox of Meyer’s video inbox:
China, Haite, Chile, Mexico, California… Is it just me or does there seem to be new major earthquake somewhere in the world almost every other week? Scary times indeed, especially for those folks who live in earthquake prone areas. Nowhere is this more a pressing concern then up in San Francisco. Most seismologists will tell anyone who listens that’s it’s not a question of “if” but a question of “when” the “big one” will hit the bay area. This brings the issue of refurbishing our infrastructure front and center. You won’t believe the reasons for the delays! Let’s just hope they can finish the bridge in time. If you watch this recent report from 60 MINUTES you can see it’s a true race against time.
THE BAY BRIDGE: COMPETING AGAINST TIME
(CBS) There is no doubt communities around San Francisco Bay are going to be hit with the same kind of catastrophic earthquake that recently struck Haiti, Chile and China.
Most people in the Bay Area know that. But they may not know their most important lifeline to the outside world is also one the weakest: the Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco to Oakland.
In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake severely damaged the Bay Bridge. At the time, California’s leading engineers said it was a “powerful warning” that the bridge needed to be made earthquake safe. Their report was called “Competing Against Time.”
Twenty years later, a new span that is a wonder of engineering is rising across San Francisco Bay. But it’s still under construction, and there’s a push to finish the job before the next big earthquake strikes. The Golden Gate is the most recognized bridge in the world and, most people would say, San Francisco’s most beautiful. But when you talk about California’s economy, the Bay Bridge is the most important. With nearly 250,000 vehicles crossing it every workday, it’s one of the busiest bridges in the world.
But, as California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) spokesman Bart Ney explains, here’s the problem: “If a very large earthquake strikes now we’re going to have trouble with that structure.”
“That bridge goes in the water?” correspondent Byron Pitts asked.
“Portions of it, maybe,” Ney replied.
Read the rest of the story and watch the video HERE
