Meh, a viaduc over a high way collapsed yesterday in a city not too far from here. I've been following the details. It has just been announced that 5 people perished simply crushed under the tons that simply collapsed.

As you can see (you'll notice one of the 2 cars trapped under (this one containing 3 people) they did not stand a chance. A motorcycle was also simply flattened under the rubble.

EDIT : Picture removed. I guess the place I was linking it from decided to change it because it was too graphic.

Hopefully this'll give our idiotic goverment a wake up call so they supply fonds for the maintenance of roads and bridges here in quebec.

The simple thought of the last moments before being crushed like those people were has been stuck in my mind since last night. Got me hair standing straight on my arms. :/

Isn't it in Montreal? or was it Quebec City? Or are you talking about a whole other bridge?
DETAILS!

Yep in Laval (near Montreal)

But aren't there inspectors to check these bridges out regularly? I mean, stuctures don't collapse without first giving telltale signs.

It had been inspected a while before.
People were complaining about falling concrete for ****s sake. I can't believe they didn't see this coming and close the damn thing off.

source?

The only call that was made concerning falling concrete was made about 15 minutes before the structure collapsed. They did not have time to dispatch inspectors and police forces to close off the way.

And Echoman, I would have thought so also, but I fear that either they are not doing their job or the quebec goverment are not supplying enough funds for full reparations and evalutations.

Or maybe it was just designed poorly and was going to collapse whether it gave the signs or not.

Thats pretty much what its looking to. It had a focused evalution back in may 2005 and there were no signs of it.

Matter of fact, this bridge that collapsed was built in the 1970s and typically they have a life span of 70 to 75 years. This bridge was not halfway through its lifespan. There are about 20 other bridges in quebec built from the same scematics and a lot have already been closed for examination now.

Same thing happened here.

You can still see the oil stains on the highway where people were assuredly crushed to death.

Pretty wierd when you think "Hey I've been going over and under that bridge a few times this summer."

Wait a minute you! Since when do people bleed oil? We all know they bleed strawberry jam!

There was a bridge that partially collapsed that belonged to a busy highway (I-95) years ago. Better to fall to your death in a watery grave than be crushed?

I'm guessing the only place you can lay blame would be the government (and inspectors).