View Full Version : May Ave Bridge Collapses



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MadMonk
05-19-2016, 01:59 PM
Yikes. This just happened.
12590

12591

Jersey Boss
05-19-2016, 02:02 PM
nm

Roger S
05-19-2016, 02:06 PM
Reporting that a truck hit it.

SSEiYah
05-19-2016, 02:07 PM
Looks like the trucker failed to pay attention to the low clearance sign.

jn1780
05-19-2016, 02:12 PM
nm

Posting made without knowledge

Even though retracted your previous statement, this bridge has been needing an upgrade for awhile. It actually got hit a long time ago in the exact same spot so its obviously has some low clearance issues.

Bill Robertson
05-19-2016, 02:13 PM
My wife just texted that the May Ave bridge has fallen onto the west bound lanes of NW Expressway. That will create a mess for some time!

Pete
05-19-2016, 02:13 PM
Holy cow, hope no one was hurt.

That's only one of the busiest intersections in all of OKC -- going to be a mess for quite a while.

dcsooner
05-19-2016, 02:18 PM
Looks like the trucker failed to pay attention to the low clearance sign.

Though a trucker hit the bridge, for it to fully collapse indicates to me a bridge design or fatigue issue. Further stresses the need for a comprehensive, long term bridge replacement plan with funding.

zefferoni
05-19-2016, 02:18 PM
I heard there were no injuries, thankfully. Here's the live updates from NewsOK. (http://newsok.com/article/5499104?utm_source=NewsOK.com&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=NIC-Facebook)

LocoAko
05-19-2016, 02:19 PM
http://www.koco.com/image/view/-/39631914/medRes/1/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/6gajle/-/bridge-collapse-jpg.jpg

http://www.koco.com/news/crews-responding-to-northwest-oklahoma-city-bridge-collapse/39631488?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=FBPAGE&utm_campaign=KOCO%205%20News&Content%20Type=Story

Pete
05-19-2016, 02:23 PM
That's really a cool old bridge.

Watch, they'll rebuild it to some crappy standard that will look much worse.

bchris02
05-19-2016, 02:27 PM
That's really a cool old bridge.

Watch, they'll rebuild it to some crappy standard that will look much worse.

I wonder if they will rebuild the bridge at all. They might just turn it into a regular intersection with a light, just like every other major intersection on NW Expressway.

Anyways, this reminds me of the I-40 Arkansas River bridge collapse back in 2002, when a barge hit it.

Jersey Boss
05-19-2016, 02:27 PM
Even though retracted your previous statement, this bridge has been needing an upgrade for awhile. It actually got hit a long time ago in the exact same spot so its obviously has some low clearance issues.

Yeah, it was speculation on my part based on the dismal affair of infrastructure in this state. I would like to see the last time the bridge was inspected and if that inspection was after the last time it was hit.

rezman
05-19-2016, 02:40 PM
The last time the May Ave Bridge got hit it was on the eastbound side by a truck hauling an excavator. I was living in Mayfair at the time, and the bridge was reduced to two lanes for repairs for a while. I remember the truck driver, or somebody on his end, tried to blame the accident on the fact that NW Hwy had just been repaved, which elevated the roadway surface, and decreased the room for the truck to fit under the bridge.

sooner88
05-19-2016, 02:41 PM
I wonder if they will rebuild the bridge at all. They might just turn it into a regular intersection with a light, just like every other major intersection on NW Expressway.

Anyways, this reminds me of the I-40 Arkansas River bridge collapse back in 2002, when a barge hit it.

If they don't rebuild the bridge that would dead end May at one of it's busiest intersections.

bchris02
05-19-2016, 02:44 PM
If they don't rebuild the bridge that would dead end May at one of it's busiest intersections.

Actually I was thinking they might convert it into a regular intersection instead of a cloverleaf. There would be a stoplight there and it would function like Penn/NW Expressway. This is just my own speculation though and I have nothing to base that on.

barrettd
05-19-2016, 02:46 PM
The last time the May Ave Bridge got hit it was on the eastbound side by a truck hauling an excavator. I was living in Mayfair at the time, and the bridge was reduced to two lanes for repairs for a while. I remember the truck driver, or somebody on his end, tried to blame the accident on the fact that NW Hwy had just been repaved, which elevated the roadway surface, and decreased the room for the truck to fit under the bridge.

I was crossing the bridge going northbound on my way to work at AutoGraf car wash when the truck hit the bridge that morning. I didn't think much of it, figured I had run over something. Didn't realize what had happened until I watched the news later that day.

Yes, it was on the eastbound side of the bridge. The repairs seemed to take forever and that stretch of May was a nightmare, especially for those of us living in Mayfair.

warreng88
05-19-2016, 03:13 PM
From kfor.com:

OKLAHOMA CITY – Part of the May Avenue bridge over the Northwest Expressway collapsed Thursday.

Initial reports indicate the bridge collapsed around 2:40 p.m. after a tractor-trailer heading westbound crashed into the bridge.

The driver of the truck told police he passed under the other side of the bridge earlier with no issue.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

May Avenue and the Northwest Expressway are closed in all directions where they intersect due to the bridge collapse.

Officials say engineers are evaluating the damage to the bridge and an estimate on the time needed for repairs won’t be available until the evaluation is complete.

http://kfor.com/2016/05/19/part-of-may-ave-bridge-on-northwest-expressway-collapses/

Mississippi Blues
05-19-2016, 03:15 PM
I wonder if they will rebuild the bridge at all. They might just turn it into a regular intersection with a light, just like every other major intersection on NW Expressway.

I'm not sure of the likelihood of it being turned into an actual intersection, but that does seem like a better option. If anyone has evidence otherwise, feel free to correct my flawed thinking.

rezman
05-19-2016, 03:18 PM
In the former event, the excavator was ripped off the bed of the lowboy trailer, just like today. Suprisingly, that impact didn't bring the bridge down. That time they had to replace a couple of the steel girders and the decking on the SB lanes of the bridge. Notice in some of today's footage of the bridge taken from the EB side, the newer paint on the outside girder over the EB portal and it stops just as it goes over the WB side.

SSEiYah
05-19-2016, 03:28 PM
Though a trucker hit the bridge, for it to fully collapse indicates to me a bridge design or fatigue issue.
You might be on to something:
12592

Canoe
05-19-2016, 03:30 PM
It happened before in July 1993.

http://archive.newsok.com/olive/apa/oklahoman/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DOK%2F1993%2F07%2F10&id=Ar00101&sk=F36BD87A

Anonymous.
05-19-2016, 04:00 PM
That bridge had more patches than a pair of denim from the 80s.

Plutonic Panda
05-19-2016, 04:05 PM
If they rebuild it at grade, then it's officially time to call NW Expressway NW BLVD or something else because an expressway is supposed to have more limited control facilities and honestly I wish they'd upgrade several other arterials along this road to a grade separated intersection.

jn1780
05-19-2016, 04:52 PM
I'm sure they will take the cheapest route and just replace this section of bridge like they did in 93'.

Pete
05-19-2016, 04:54 PM
Update from the City. They will also have a press conference tomorrow at 11AM and hopefully map out a plan.

*****************

May Avenue bridge: Situation Update 2 (5:35 p.m. May 19)

May Avenue and the Northwest Expressway are closed in all directions where they intersect due to a crash that knocked down a bridge. The roads will remain closed until further notice.

The crash
A westbound tractor-trailer rig on the Northwest Expressway crashed into the May Avenue bridge about 2:40 p.m., and the crash knocked down part of the bridge.

No one was hurt.

Police are investigating the crash.

Damage, repairs and detours
Engineers are evaluating the damage, and an estimate on the time needed for repairs won’t be available until the evaluation is complete. The damage is to the part of the bridge carrying May Avenue's northbound traffic.

The City's on-call bridge contractor is part of the evaluation team determining the scope of repairs. A price and timetable will be based on the extent of the damage and what repairs are needed.

An estimate of when the roadways will be re-opened to traffic won't be available until Friday at the earliest.

Detours are marked with signs.

Bridge details
The bridge is owned and maintained by the City of Oklahoma City and has a clearance of 14 feet, 4 inches. It carries about 20,000 cars daily.

The City inspects bridges every other year. The May Avenue bridge was last inspected in August 2014.

Public Works Department officials are reviewing the bridge's history as part of the damage evaluation. More details about the bridge and its history will be available as their review continues.

A similar crash occurred at the same bridge in 1993. An eastbound tractor-trailer rig on the Northwest Expressway crashed into the part of the bridge carrying May Avenue's southbound traffic. The bridge was repaired.

Another similar crash occurred at the same bridge in 2014, but the bridge wasn’t knocked down.

EMBARK service affected
Service on EMBARK bus route 007 is affected by the road closure, and a long-term detour will be necessary until repairs are complete. The detour route is still being determined.

Jersey Boss
05-19-2016, 05:23 PM
Update from the City. They will also have a press conference tomorrow at 11AM and hopefully map out a plan.

*****************

The City inspects bridges every other year. The May Avenue bridge was last inspected in August 2014.

Someone needs to be held accountable for this alone.

jompster
05-19-2016, 05:24 PM
I'm sure they will take the cheapest route and just replace this section of bridge like they did in 93'.

Most likely. It would probably be cheaper to reconstruct that section of bridge than to demo the bridge and level the bridge approach embankments to convert it to an at-grade intersection. That's a lot of modification.

rezman
05-19-2016, 05:36 PM
If they rebuild it at grade, then it's officially time to call NW Expressway NW BLVD or something else because an expressway is supposed to have more limited control facilities and honestly I wish they'd upgrade several other arterials along this road to a grade separated intersection.

I remember in years past it being refered to as "NW No Way"

Bunty
05-19-2016, 05:41 PM
Actually I was thinking they might convert it into a regular intersection instead of a cloverleaf. There would be a stoplight there and it would function like Penn/NW Expressway. This is just my own speculation though and I have nothing to base that on.
Is it far too busy to turn it into a roundabout? But then since so many people don't know how to drive on a roundabout, it may be too dangerous to do it on that basis alone.

Roger S
05-19-2016, 05:42 PM
12593

Now we know what really happened!

OKCRT
05-19-2016, 05:47 PM
12593

Now we know what really happened!

They need to clear the debris off NW Expressway tonight and get that reopened by morning.

stile99
05-19-2016, 05:53 PM
Is it far too busy to turn it into a roundabout?

Why are people suggesting this, or a regular intersection? Have you guys not driven there or something? It's not like the bridge is at over 14 feet because the ground is level. Effort to rebuild the bridge: [----]. Effort to level the ground, then build an intersection or roundabout: [--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]. It ain't happening.

OKCisOK4me
05-19-2016, 05:56 PM
It'll be an all new bridge with the same ol tiny cloverleafs cause that's the Oklahoman Expressway to do it...

Mississippi Blues
05-19-2016, 06:15 PM
Why are people suggesting this, or a regular intersection? Have you guys not driven there or something? It's not like the bridge is at over 14 feet because the ground is level. Effort to rebuild the bridge: [----]. Effort to level the ground, then build an intersection or roundabout: [--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]. It ain't happening.

I would say this answers my question. Thank you for the insight.

TheTravellers
05-19-2016, 06:42 PM
It'll be an all new bridge with the same ol tiny cloverleafs cause that's the Oklahoman Expressway to do it...

Where's that like button, Pete? And it's not even a *full* cloverleaf - to get on northbound May from eastbound NW Expwy, you have to go past May, do a u-turn, then go across all the lanes of traffic and get on another ramp - brilliant!

Martin
05-19-2016, 06:54 PM
Where's that like button, Pete? And it's not even a *full* cloverleaf - to get on northbound May from eastbound NW Expwy, you have to go past May, do a u-turn, then go across all the lanes of traffic and get on another ramp - brilliant!

protip: expressway to independence to 59th to may. -M

CloudDeckMedia
05-19-2016, 09:52 PM
12594 Here's a close-up aerial still image we shot today. I can't imagine the sound it must've made when that section was struck and fell onto NW Expressway!

CloudDeckMedia
05-19-2016, 09:54 PM
It doesn't look like an aerial, but we were able to move the drone in very, very close. Winds were very light at the time, and the rain was just starting to fall.

Bellaboo
05-19-2016, 10:00 PM
They need to clear the debris off NW Expressway tonight and get that reopened by morning.

This is going to be closed in all directions for days, if not weeks and possibly months.

Scott5114
05-19-2016, 11:24 PM
In case anyone was curious, here's the National Bridge Inventory data for the bridge: http://uglybridges.com/1432656

Year built: 1952
Average daily traffic: 22,000 [as of 2013]
Deck condition: Poor [4 out of 9]
Superstructure condition: Poor [4 out of 9]
Substructure condition: Poor [4 out of 9]
Structural appraisal: Meets minimum tolerable limits to be left in place as is [4]
Deck geometry appraisal: Somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being left in place as is [5]
Underclearances appraisal: Basically intolerable requiring high priority of replacement [2]
Evaluation: Structurally deficient [1]
Sufficiency rating: 48.6 [out of 100]

So it looks like the bridge was in fact structurally deficient, but whether or not that was a contributing factor to the collapse is a question best answered by the engineers that will no doubt be conducting an investigation into it.

Glad no one was hurt. I'm sad that this means that the vintage black MAY AVE sign on the side of the underpass will probably be tossed in the scrap heap. That thing has been there since this bridge was first built. I believe when the bridge was first built this was the US-66/SH-3 interchange.

rezman
05-20-2016, 05:37 AM
Glad no one was hurt. I'm sad that this means that the vintage black MAY AVE sign on the side of the underpass will probably be tossed in the scrap heap. That thing has been there since this bridge was first built. I believe when the bridge was first built this was the US-66/SH-3 interchange.


That sign would look great on my garage wall with all my other vintage and automotive décor.

Snowman
05-20-2016, 05:46 AM
Why are people suggesting this, or a regular intersection? Have you guys not driven there or something? It's not like the bridge is at over 14 feet because the ground is level. Effort to rebuild the bridge: [----]. Effort to level the ground, then build an intersection or roundabout: [--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]. It ain't happening.

The ground is only not level because they set it up for that structure, May use to be the main north/south traffic carrier in that area till it was replaced by Lake Hefner Parkway decades ago. Given how much more frequently and costly maintenance is on the bridge and aux connectors, in the long run it will eventually save money and you could sell the land the cloverleafs are on. It also limited good since there are stop lights in every direction from it on both roads. It also rarely has as much traffic as the sections west of LHP which are all regular intersections.

The non existent merge areas are a safety risk and for some reason it was made in a way that makes it a pain to go north on May, which if you are coming from the south is a pain since it is a few miles to the next exit off LHP.

Urbanized
05-20-2016, 06:03 AM
Someone needs to be held accountable for this alone.

Not following your logic. Bridges are inspected every other year, this one was inspected in 2014 so sounds like inspection is due but not OVERdue. Not to mention that the collapse seems to have been caused solely by the truck, and not structural deficiency. So why the outrage, and at whom exactly is it directed?

jn1780
05-20-2016, 06:14 AM
This is going to be closed in all directions for days, if not weeks and possibly months.

I don't think it will take weeks or months. Unless they deem the whole bridge unstable. We should see westbound open by next week and they should have a contractor start clearing the destroyed bridge deck by next week also. One way or another they will have NW expressway completely open by the end of the month.

barrettd
05-20-2016, 06:42 AM
I don't think it will take weeks or months. Unless they deem the whole bridge unstable. We should see westbound open by next week and they should have a contractor start clearing the destroyed bridge deck by next week also. One way or another they will have NW expressway completely open by the end of the month.

They're not going to be able to open any part of that bridge for traffic on May, though, do you think? Looks a lot worse than the collapse in 93. Regardless, I'm planning on avoiding that whole intersection for the foreseeable future.

bombermwc
05-20-2016, 07:17 AM
There's far too much traffic in both directions to do anything other than put a bridge back in its place. That bridge was a danger zone and has been for decades. It's probably best for the citizens that this happened (and we're lucky with no injuries) so we can get a REAL structure built to replace this crumbling crap of a bridge. Since it's OKC and not ODOT, it wouldn't have been on that list of deficient bridges.

The bad news, it will take a few months to get a new bridge built. I dont see how they will be able to open even one side of it in the interim. Basically, i bet this thing is demo'd soon and we'll see a new bridge start next month.

rezman
05-20-2016, 08:06 AM
Not following your logic. Bridges are inspected every other year, this one was inspected in 2014 so sounds like inspection is due but not OVERdue. Not to mention that the collapse seems to have been caused solely by the truck, and not structural deficiency. So why the outrage, and at whom exactly is it directed?

This is what bothered me about how the story was broken on local news outlets, and continues to be reported as "May Ave Bridge Collapses". Not " Truck Strikes May Ave Bridge Causing It To Collapse". It's not until they get into the story that they mention that it was caused by a collision with a truck.

jerrywall
05-20-2016, 08:41 AM
People have been blowing up my facebook about "someone in the state screwed up" over this. All I could say was it's amazing how many structural engineers who have the ability to analyze a bridge via internet photos I must have on my friends list.

zachj7
05-20-2016, 08:47 AM
Shouldn't a bridge not collapse if something hits it? You would think it would only be damaged but the thing fell down. I'm no engineer, and could easily be wrong about this but I would hope bridges could withstand a bit without collapsing. :dontgetit

jerrywall
05-20-2016, 08:54 AM
Shouldn't a bridge not collapse if something hits it? You would think it would only be damaged but the thing fell down. I'm no engineer, and could easily be wrong about this but I would hope bridges could withstand a bit without collapsing. :dontgetit

I don't know, but I'm willing to admit I don't know. I DO know a truck with an extremely heavy piece of construction equipment hit it so hard that the equipment was RIPPED off the trailer, pulled free of whatever restraints were holding it in place, and the truck shot out the other side of the overpass untouched, leaving the equipment in place, where it had slammed into the bridge. I have no idea what type of physical forces this would require.

Bill Robertson
05-20-2016, 09:00 AM
Shouldn't a bridge not collapse if something hits it? You would think it would only be damaged but the thing fell down. I'm no engineer, and could easily be wrong about this but I would hope bridges could withstand a bit without collapsing. :dontgetitI'm wondering that myself. If the boom lift cleared going East and didn't going West because that side is 4 inches lower than only the highest poinpof the boom lift should have hit the bridge. The highest points of a boom lift are the cage railings or the boom pivot point. I would think either of those points should end in bridge 1, lift 0. Not the other way around.

Bellaboo
05-20-2016, 09:01 AM
Shouldn't a bridge not collapse if something hits it? You would think it would only be damaged but the thing fell down. I'm no engineer, and could easily be wrong about this but I would hope bridges could withstand a bit without collapsing. :dontgetit

If you look at the picture in post # 10, you can see the deck sits on metal pedestals, circa 1952 bridge construction. It must have impacted the deck pedestals to the point of bringing it down.

stile99
05-20-2016, 09:02 AM
Shouldn't a bridge not collapse if something hits it? You would think it would only be damaged but the thing fell down. I'm no engineer, and could easily be wrong about this but I would hope bridges could withstand a bit without collapsing. :dontgetit

You don't need to be an engineer, it's basic physics. Bridges are perfectly capable of 'withstanding a bit without collapsing', the sheer (pun not intended) forces they are built to withstand are huge. However, bridges are not built for morons to be plowing into them from the side, and that's why they have that sign giving the clearance.

Look, Oklahoma's infrastructure is crap. We all know it, nobody is trying to deny it. But let's all keep in mind what happened here. The bridge did not fall down, the bridge was torn down, in precisely the same way it would have been had a wrecking ball been used on it.

rezman
05-20-2016, 09:21 AM
Figure roughly 15 to 20,000 lbs for the truck and another 10 to 15,000 lbs for the trailer, plus the aerial lift that was on back,... say roughly another 10 to 15,000 lbs, for a combined weight between 35 and 50,000 lbs, all moving along at 40-45mph.... something is gonna happen upon impact.

jerrywall
05-20-2016, 09:39 AM
Figure roughly 15 to 20,000 lbs for the truck and another 10 to 15,000 lbs for the trailer, plus the aerial lift that was on back,... say roughly another 10 to 15,000 lbs, for a combined weight between 35 and 50,000 lbs, all moving along at 40-45mph.... something is gonna happen upon impact.

I need someone smarter than me to use this data and compare it to the impact force of a typical wrecking ball.

Paseofreak
05-20-2016, 09:41 AM
http://newsok.com/article/5499117

mkjeeves
05-20-2016, 09:49 AM
I'm wondering that myself. If the boom lift cleared going East and didn't going West because that side is 4 inches lower than only the highest poinpof the boom lift should have hit the bridge. The highest points of a boom lift are the cage railings or the boom pivot point. I would think either of those points should end in bridge 1, lift 0. Not the other way around.

Depends on the type of boom lift. I imagine the structure that's tallest on this lift is pretty stout.

http://www.boomlifts4sale.com/media/boomlifts/original/JLG_400S_Boomlifts.jpg

jn1780
05-20-2016, 09:59 AM
There's far too much traffic in both directions to do anything other than put a bridge back in its place. That bridge was a danger zone and has been for decades. It's probably best for the citizens that this happened (and we're lucky with no injuries) so we can get a REAL structure built to replace this crumbling crap of a bridge. Since it's OKC and not ODOT, it wouldn't have been on that list of deficient bridges.

The bad news, it will take a few months to get a new bridge built. I dont see how they will be able to open even one side of it in the interim. Basically, i bet this thing is demo'd soon and we'll see a new bridge start next month.

You could also say that about NW Expressway and 63rd, Expressway and MacArthur, Expressway and Rockwell, etc. The only reason there is a full interchange here is because May use to be a lot more important before the Lake Hefner parkway was built.

I'm sure they will rebuild the bridge because people are use to having a bridge here. What makes most sense would be a traditional diamond interchange. A SPUI would be better, but I don't know if city would want to spend money on that.

Jersey Boss
05-20-2016, 10:13 AM
Not following your logic. Bridges are inspected every other year, this one was inspected in 2014 so sounds like inspection is due but not OVERdue. Not to mention that the collapse seems to have been caused solely by the truck, and not structural deficiency. So why the outrage, and at whom exactly is it directed?

Hey, thanks for catching that Urb. I missed the word "other" in "every other year" and thought the inspection to be overdue. While the truck caused the damage, my misconception on the bridge being inspected, I felt, could have contributed to it failing on the magnitude it did. Apologies to Pete, and others who read my misdirected opinion.