A big part of me does not want to add to any drama. I think the magnitude of the situation precludes a few poorly taken pictures on this blog amplifying what the media is creating. Watching the news rehash this is difficult to continuously see, but the desire to know more about what happened keeps drawing me to it.
Seeing what happened in person is eerie and disturbing. The view of the mangled bridge looked like something from a movie or the result of an earthquake, not something that happens in Minneapolis. Myself and everyone I know frequents this bridge. The scary think is there is nothing special about 6:05 pm, August 1st, 2007. The bridge could have collapsed at an equally unspecial time and someone in my life, if not myself could have easily been on it. Irrational personal lamenting aside, this is a tragedy for the people involved.
It also begs the question about who is responsible and what the government should have been doing. I think it is a great example of the power the representatives of the people have. At no point in my life have I contemplated personally hiring an inspector to check the bridges I drive on or the buildings I enter. I and my fellow citizens assume they are safe.
On a shallower level than a lost loved one, this event will effect Minnesotans live in memory and practice for many years. 280 has been turned into a freeway to accomodate traffic to 94 and then back to 35W. Being a U of M student who lives blocks from this bridge, I am certain we will see an immediate effect. Even the bit of construction that effected this stretch of road had a major impact on traffic.
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