http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/asia/bangladesh-building-collapse.html?hp&_r=0

 

NEW DELHI — An eight-story building in Bangladesh that housed several garment factories collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least 70 people, injuring hundreds of others, and leaving an unknown number of people trapped in the rubble, according to Bangladeshi officials and media outlets.... http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/asia/bangladesh-building-co...

 

So much happening under our feet.  Daily collapses of roadways due to the severe bow stretch, severe rains, crunching and land subduction all predicted in Zetatalk and all happening now.  Last week in Utah a fatal road collapse killed a 14 year old girl and injured 2.  It's painful to watch the planet crumble but we all knew it was coming.

Buildings collapsing.........a daily happening too.  With responses about what's causing all these happenings ranging from, rain, human error, poorly constructed, yada yada.....BUT, that's not going to fly with people much longer.  As soon as Planet X peers out at us from the sky, people will remember all the things that have happened up to this point and finally somehow, they will connect the dots.  Some will be in extreme denial, others will be so afraid and look for someone to take care of them, and still others will stand up and be counted and prepare as best we could.  There's no wishing this away, there's only pushing forward to a better tomorrow.  While our infrastructure crumbles around us we need to learn to be more careful, tread softly, kiss your kids, love with all your heart.  We are IN IT NOW.

I live in a house built in 1850 and it isn't falling down.  Age does not mean collapse. 

100-year-old building partially collapses in Malone

By: Rachael Paradis

A building in Malone that has been standing for more than a century will no longer be a sight in the town. The building on Route 11, well known to many in the community, collapsed overnight. While no one was injured, our Rachael Paradis tells us why the town is in a rush to tear it down.


MALONE, N.Y. -- Neighbors in Malone stood in surprise, took pictures and even shared stories of a once popular tavern that started to crumble early Monday morning.

County Legislator Billy Jones said, "It's an old structure, it was a structure that was obviously unsafe."

The tavern/hotel was built in the early 1900'. It has been closed to the public for about 15 years and was condemned six months ago.

Franklin County Emergency Services Director Rick Provost, "We're unsure what occurred last night at 3 a.m. What we do know is this building has been on our list of buildings with issues."

Jones said, "Old things fall down."

Police closed off part off Route 11 to traffic and to people, out of concern the rest of the building could fall down. Some in the community voiced concern over why this building, along with others like it in the area that haven't already been demolished. Officials say it comes down to money.

Provost said, "The high cost of abatement for these buildings really makes it tough for the county or the village to take those burdens on."

Jones, "We just have to come up with a plan to start taking some of these building down so we don't run into this problem going forward."

The demolition is only expected to take hours, but cleaning up the area is a different issue. Officials say it could be weeks before the site is completely cleared.

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/551123/100-year-old-bu...

 

 LAKE ELSINORE: Water leak causes street collapse

 

10:00 PM PDT on Friday, July 22, 2011

By GENE GHIOTTO
The Press-Enterprise

Temporary repairs to a section of Joy Street in Lake Elsinore are in place today after a 1-inch water line gave way, causing 80 feet of the roadway to collapse and the asphalt to buckle.

The leak, caused by a 6 to 8-inch diameter tree root, was reported late Thursday in a line that leads to several duplexes on Joy between Machado Street and Riverside Drive, and behind Machado Elementary School.

Water service was restored to the 34 customers early Friday morning, said Greg Morrison, spokesman for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

Water district and contractor crews spent much of Friday removing the damaged asphalt on the southbound side of Joy and laying down a temporary patch. The road was opened in both directions by late afternoon.

"That way the road will be open completely for the entire weekend," Morrison said.

Crews will return Monday and trench from curb to curb to permanently repair the 1-inch line.

On Tuesday, a paving company will remove the patch, put down new base and repave one side of Joy, Morrison said. Work on the other side will take place on Wednesday.

"That way on Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be able to keep on

 

http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_spipe23.38e27e6...

Windhorst, Parsons Roadway Collapse: Cautious Testing Continues

County workers are testing for sinkholes but the work is proceeding methodically because of utility lines at the intersection, according to a Hillsborough County spokesman.

Several lanes at the intersection of Windhorst Road and Parsons Avenue in Brandon remained closed for the indefinite future as county workers tread carefully in determining what caused a section of the roadway to collapse July 19.

“We have to be really careful at that intersection because there are lots of utility lines in the area,” said Hillsborough County spokesman Patrick Murray. "We have a sewer line and a water line there and we have to make sure there are no other utilities, so we have to be careful drilling.”

At the scene, late afternoon July 22, barricades were seen at the intersection, with drilling under way.

Crew workers first believed a 16-inch sewage pipeline beneath the intersection might have caused the collapse of the 6-foot-square section of roadway on July 19, according to a county report.

But the sewer line was dug up and found to be intact.  Now the county is testing the intersection for sinkholes — but carefully, as Murray noted.  

Additional detours and lane closures are possible as crews dig up the line for inspection and any necessary repairs.

Motorists who must travel through the intersection are warned to expect delays.

http://brandon.patch.com/articles/windhorst-parsons-roadway-collaps...

Sewer collapse closes part of Lexington Road

At least one eastbound lane of Road near Etley Avenue and Cave Hill Cemetery will be closed during Thursday morning’s rush hour after a 48-inch brick sewer collapsed Wednesday evening.

Crews noticed a depression in the road before discovering the sewer had collapsed, and the area will be excavated Thursday morning, said Metropolitan Sewer District Executive   Bud Schardein.

He said it was too early to tell what caused the collapse, but age was a likely factor. That part of the sewer was built in the 1880s and could have been weakened from an unusually wet spring.

“With all the wet weather we’ve had this past spring, that has a tendency to undermine the mortar,” Schardein said.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/307200099/Se...

Road collapse might have killed Colorado family

(2011-07-20)

(wpr) - Engineers say a large section of Wyoming highway where four Colorado family members plunged to their deaths might have totally collapsed in a matter of minutes.

It had been raining for hours Monday night when local authorities warned the Constantinides family, among others, about potential flood conditions near North Brush Creek Campground around midnight.

Not long afterward, the family's van drove into a washed-out portion of Wyoming highway 130 and was swept about 75 yards down Brush Creek. Laurel Constantindies and her three daughters died.

The husband and father, Alex Constantindies, who had grown up in Laramie, survived and escape the vehicle. He and a passerby later rescued Carbon County Emergency management Coordinator John Ziegler, whose car washed out while he was trying to assist in flood protection efforts.

Ziegler said he was "very fortunate" to have survived.

Bruce Burrows of the Wyoming Transportation Department says engineers are studying what happened to the roadway early Tuesday morning. He says preliminary assessments indicate the creek swollen with rain and snowmelt may have undermined the roadway over some hours and then gouged a 25-foot-wide, 9-foot-deep hole in a matter of minutes.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wpr/news.newsmain/article/1/0/183...

Yunnan road test the opening day collapse resulting in four deaths and injuries

8, Yunnan” in the history of the most short-lived highway “a serious collapse destroyed sections of the site. After investigation, the highway there in time duration and other issues. Xinhua News Agency reporters Chen Hai and Ning She

Recently, Yunnan Province, Internet users post, said the new Xinping county secondary road test three estuary opening day collapse occurs, resulting in 2 dead 2 injured. Internet users have questioned this “the most short-lived highway” Why just fix it collapsed, was “too much rain” or “bad way”?

After the incident, Yunnan Provincial Department and the Transportation Department were dispatched to investigate a group of experts, the group that really belongs to all “natural disasters caused by heavy rainfall.”

collapse of the vehicle crash on

recently, Internet users “pass,” said Post, June 27, Xinping County of Yuxi City, three city secondary road test the opening of the estuary collapse occurred the next day, resulting in a vehicle passing through here turn under the cliff, killing two people died inside the car and two others injured, highway interrupted. For the cause of the accident, the local government is a single point of heavy rain caused by a natural disaster.

7 8, correspondent along the new road to the scene three, the road there are construction workers on the highway guardrail, drainage and other construction, from time to time some sections of earth and rock rolled down from the hills.

close to the scene of the accident, the construction set up roadblocks on the road side. In the new three road K25 +450 to K26 +480 road, the reporter saw a total of three road damage, including two collapsed, a surface crack. Road accident at the hillside, two-way four-lane have collapsed, a lot of rocks, soil and concrete was rushed into the street of the valley.

“red water collapsed roadbed”

Zhang Xinping County Department of Transportation Secretary BU has introduced three new roads through villages and towns in Xinping County 8 19 village committees, with a total mileage of 90 kilometers . Road along the fragile geology, disasters, floods and geological disasters have been more serious.

accidents mainly due to heavy rains led to a single point of soft roadbed, road ditches and culverts to be above the blockage, and finally the formation of water as a waterfall of impact, resulting in collapse of highway roadbed.

Bu there are rules that highway design, construction and supervision units are selected strictly in accordance with the bidding system, procedural compliance and found no serious design flaws, quality of construction or supervision of omissions.

collapse occurred Sections of the construction unit project manager Jiangzu Long introduction, the unit will subcontract work to the successful construction services company, the project head of engineering equipment and materials, and is responsible for management and technical guidance, service company only the labor force, which is not labor sub-subcontract, the state permitted by law.

he said, in strict accordance with design drawings for construction, engineering, quality is no problem, Lu Jisong soft infiltration and erosion is mainly caused by the floods.

no quality problems, experts say

afterwards, Yunnan Provincial Department and the Transportation Department were sent experts to the scene. The Group believes that: section of the incident transverse slope steep terrain, poor geological conditions, heavy rainfall increased the hydrostatic pressure, the formation of collapse, is a heavy rainfall-induced natural disasters.

Yunnan Provincial Communications Department who participated in the survey, experts say, from the survey of the situation, roadbed, retaining wall strength and so meet the requirements and found no quality problems.

subsidy investigation in time duration for the fight

accused of the most short-lived road not approved the first building, not the acceptance that the opening test

Reporter learned that the investigation, three new road opened in October 2009 to build, and design in May 2010 before the Provincial Communications Department has been approved, there is “not approved prior to construction” and “time duration” issue. Not hand over the road in case of acceptance of test traffic violations, and plans to be held on 30 June the opening ceremony, canceled after the accident.

construction personnel, three new road along the geological environment is complex, time is short, heavy task in building a post, Xinping shouted “make a big quick-drying 60 days,” the slogan of the progress of the projects Forced , post workers overtime work.

what makes engineering so catch it? Reporters learned that, in addition to travel to meet the requirements of the masses, more important reason is that for national road toll for the abolition of two grants. According to the policy, the new secondary roads shall be June 30 this year, opened to traffic, or can not enjoy the state’s two highway toll abolition of subsidies.

http://www.cnkeyword.info/yunnan-road-test-the-opening-day-collapse...

Details Emerge in Deadly Road Collapse

Cheyenne : WY : USA | Jul 20, 2011
 
Engineers say a large section of Wyoming highway where four Colorado family members plunged to their deaths may have totally collapsed in a matter of minutes. Bruce Burrows of the Wyoming Transportation Department says engineers are studying what happened to state Route 130 over South Brush Creek... FULL ARTICLE AT KSAZ

http://www.allvoices.com/news/9730810-details-emerge-in-deadly-road...

 

 

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Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 24, 2011 at 6:38am

LAHORE: Four labourers died while twenty-one others were seriously injured when they were demolishing an illegally-built plaza in Johar Town police limits on Friday.

Two of the dead were identified as Bashir Hussain and Muhammad Hussain while two others were still unidentified. The injured labourers were identified as Abdul Rahman, Munir, Fakhar, Sardar, Nadeem, Afzal, Azhar, Saeed, Khadim, Mohammad Yaar, Yaseen, Mohammad Hussain, Ashraf, Ahmad Yaar, Naveed, Mushtaq, Yousaf, Mohammad Naeem, Qasim, Yaamin, Mohammad Nadeem and Kashif.

According to LDA officials, LDA had brought some labourers on daily wages to demolish an illegal building of plastic pipe manufacturing factory near the Board of Revenue Housing Society Road.

They said that around 25 labourers were demolishing the building. Some went to the second floor of the building while others were working at ground floor by using machinery. As a result, the foundation of the building cracked and it caved at around 10am. Twenty-five labourers were trapped in the debris. Locals called Rescue 1122 which rushed to the spot and brought out three bodies during a rescue operation which lasted for four hours. Twenty-two injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital. One of the injured succumbed to injuries at the hospital while the condition of three others was stated to be critical.

LDA officials said the plaza which was being demolished on Friday had been built illegally on a plot and now the building was in commercial use. It had served notices several times for vacation and demolition 14 days back and a final notice was sent two days ago. It collapsed because of its weak structure, resulting in the death of four persons, an LDA official said. The LDA DG said that four precious lives were lost due to the negligence of in-charge demolition as precautionary measures were not taken.

DCO Ahad Cheema also arrived at the place to inspect rescue work. LDA Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen suspended four LDA officers including Malik Ahmad Nawaz, Director Buildings, Abdur Razaq Director EME, Azhar Ali Deputy Director Town Planning and Afraz Akhter Assistant Director Town Planning.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced Rs 500,000 compensation for families of each person who lost their lives in the incident. The severely wounded persons will be paid Rs 100,000 each whereas persons with minor injuries Rs 50,000 each. DG distributed the cheques of these amounts among the injured who were under treatment at Jinnah Hospital on Friday evening. The DG also constituted a fact finding inquiry committee and directed to furnish its report within 24 hours.

Headed by the Additional DG (HQ) LDA Hafiz Ihsan Ul Haq, the committee comprise of MD WASA Dr Javed Iqbal, Dir DG (HQ) LDA Fawad Amir and Director Admn Khalid Pervaiz. Persons held responsible will be duly prosecuted after the report of inquiry. DG LDA has set up a facilitation Centre at Jinnah Hospital for ensuring proper treatment of the injured. He has also established a blood donation camp at LDA office Johar Town.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=69217&Cat=2

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 23, 2011 at 10:18pm

Overpass collapse could delay Thickwood interchange

Posted 3 hours ago

Morgan Modjeski

Today staff

A collapse at the Thickwood overpass could cause a delay in the opening of the Thickwood interchange, but Alberta Transportation said it will not cause a delay in the overall project.

Denis Courchesne, an employee of Lafarge who was on site at the time of the collapse, said it happened very quickly.

"I pulled up with my ready-mix concrete truck and I was pouring the concrete and I was about half done when suddenly, everything just caved in," he said.

"It caved in very suddenly and all of the concrete collapsed, so quickly that it bent the re-bar, in some areas by six feet.

"The concrete just sunk," said Courchesne.

According to Martin Dupuis, assistant director of communications for Alberta Transportation, the collapse is currently being investigated by the contractor, but little details are available.

"A concrete pour was being done on a portion of the bridge, the east portion, and there were beams that were supporting this and they shifted and that's what's caused the failure," said Dupuis.

Alberta Transportation said that an investigation is underway and that steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.

"The contractor is investigating this to see exactly what happened and we'll also come up with a plan to help any recurrence," he said.

The collapsed part of the bridge will be replaced, but costs affiliated with the replacement are not yet available. However, Dupuis noted it would be the responsibility of the contractor.

At the moment, weather conditions are being listed as the preliminary cause for the shifting beams and no one was hurt.

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3310285

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 23, 2011 at 6:57am

Roof Collapses on Old Church in Wheeling
Posted Thursday, September 22, 2011 ; 05:44 PM
Updated Thursday, September 22, 2011; 09:47 PM

According to the Wheeling fire officials it happened around 4 p.m. near 20th and Market Streets.



WHEELING -- Officials say a 20-feet by 30-feet portion of the roof over the sanctuary collapsed into the structure.

Officials say no one was injured and the building was locked up and empty at the time of the collapse.

Officials also say the collapse has put stress on the outside walls of the structure.

The structure and the road in front of it are currently blocked off. Market Street between 20th street and 21st street will be closed to traffic until a structural engineer can come in and assess the damage, authorities say.

According to officials, the building was no longer used as a church, but as a meeting place for different organizations.

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=108477

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 23, 2011 at 2:16am

Century-Old Building Near Busch Stadium “Structurally Unsound”

9/20/11-The historic Cupples 7 building at 11th and Spruce, built in 1907 and empty for years, has become "structurally unsound" and protective barriers are being set up around it. (KMOX/Brett Blume)

9/20/11-The historic Cupples 7 building at 11th and Spruce, built in 1907 and empty for years, has become “structurally unsound” and protective barriers are being set up around it

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -  City officials say the historic building on 11th Street between Spruce and Poplar downtown has become “structurally unsound”, and they’re taking steps to limit foot and automobile traffic near the seven-story structure.

Starting Tuesday, crews began putting up “Jersey barriers” and six-foot high chain-link fencing around the building, located two blocks west of Busch Stadium.

Access to the building will be restricted “to make sure no one gets hurt”, according to a statement from City Hall.

 Century Old Building Near Busch Stadium Structurally Unsound

9/20/11-Workers begin putting up Jersey barriers and high fencing around the Cupples 7 building downtown Tuesday. (KMOX/Brett Blume)

“The roof of the building is missing,” according to Rodney Crim, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation.  “And so there have been years of deterioration that’s resulted from being open to the elements. So the building is very unstable.”

So unstable, in fact, that city engineers have shut down 11th Street from Spruce to Poplar, along with a half-block of Spruce east of 11th Street.

Crim was unable to estimate how long the restrictions will be in place, but noted they will impact traffic and parking for Cardinal games and soon, for Blues games at Scottrade Center a couple of blocks away.

CIty building inspectors have repeatedly cited the building’s owner, Ballpark Lofts III LLC, due to its deteriorating condition.

But company reps say they simply don’t have enough

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 23, 2011 at 2:09am

Missing Invermere senior found after apparent road collapse

The body of an 85-year-old Invermere man who had been reported missing Tuesday was found near a dirt road in the Jumbo Creek area a day later, a Columbia Valley RCMP spokesman told The Province.

Bogomir Rutar had driven to the backwoods area west of Invermere to search for firewood and to hunt, if the opportunity presented itself, said Staff-Sgt. Marko Shehovac.

But the old logging road he was driving on was unstable.

Shehovac said Rutar most likely drove up to the edge of the old road, which appears to have given way, sending him and his vehicle tumbling 200 metres down a cliff.

Searchers in an RCMP helicopter spotted his vehicle from the air.

Rutar’s body was found outside the vehicle, said Shehovac.

“Although 85 years of age, the male was described to be in good physical condition and often made similar excursions in the backcountry,” he added


Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Missing+Invermere+senior+found+after+app...

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 23, 2011 at 1:58am

Balcony collapse injures four schoolkids

 The students got hurt when they were about to enter the premise. State urban development minister Firhad Hakim rushed to the spot and arranged for hospitalization of the injured student. Later, the mayor visited Sovan Chatterjee and Debasis Kar, KMC's director-general (building), reached the spot and said. Former CPM councillor Faiyaz Khan helped local youths to rescue a couple of students who were trapped under the debris.

Chatterjee later that the building was listed as insecure by the KMC building department. A local resident alleged that parts of the second floor were constructed illegally. "We need to take a decision on the fate of such buildings scattered all over the city," mayor said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Balcony-collapse-in....

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 22, 2011 at 3:47pm

Manchester Man Injured In Trench Collapse
09/20/2011

 

A Manchester man was taken to the hospital after a trench collapsed around him Monday morning in Delaware County.

It happened just before 9 a.m., along 330th Street, south of Ryan. Authorities say Gudenkauf Tiling & Excavating of Manchester was digging a trench across 330th Street, just east of Highway 13, when it collapsed on the man.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s department identified the victim as 23 year-old Tony Marbach of Manchester, an employee of Gudenkauf Tiling & Excavating. Delaware County Sheriff John LeClere said the excavating crew was digging the trench to connect tile lines on both sides of the road. The collapse happened at the edge of the road.

Marbach was rescued shortly before 11 a.m. and flown to St Lukes hospital in Cedar Rapids.

http://www.kmch.com/wire/news/00431_092011_tony_051641.php

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 22, 2011 at 2:27pm

Heavy rain washes away part of Mobley Road

 

Torrential rains Tuesday night caused a portion of the Comer Auditorium roof to collapse and a section of Mobley Road in north Columbus to wash out.

The old auditorium in Bibb City houses the offices of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which have been relocated to the Fox and Gallops rec centers.

About 15 percent of the facility’s roof collapsed, which caused extensive flooding to the first floor and basement, the city reported.

Interim Public Services Director Ron Smith said he has seen the Comer damage from the ground level and called it “extensive.” He said the building, which is about 70 years old, is insured and adjusters have been on the site, but it’s too early to estimate the cost of repairs, how long the facility will be closed, or even if it’s worth repairing.

Smith said the city was planning to move the parks and rec offices to the new Citizens Service Center when it opens.

A short section of the west-bound lane of Mobley Road between Fallbranch Drive and Rivermont Court washed out where a concrete culvert runs beneath the street.

For the time being, the road is closed to through traffic and except for people wh

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 22, 2011 at 2:25pm

One dead, one injured after Big Island zip line fails

HILO, BIG ISLAND-  One man was killed and another was critically injured after a zip line located north of Hilo Town failed without warning at about 9:30 Wednesday morning.

Hawaii County Police Capt. Randall Madeiros said a 30 foot wooden tower designed to hold the zip line in place suddenly collapsed.   

The man who was killed was half way across the zip line, which spans 2,300 feet above Honolii Stream, when he fell approximately 200 feet.  He was identified as a 36-year-old resident of Maui. 

The man who was injured was standing on the wooden tower and was about to go onto the zip line when it failed.  He was identified as a 35-year-old resident of Ohio and remains in critical condition at the Hilo Medical Center.  Madeiros said he suffered fractures and internal injuries.

Both victims work for Experiential Resources Incorporated, or ERi, a company based in Lahaina, Maui that specializes in the construction of zip lines and other adventure courses.  The president of the company released a statement late Wednesday.

“The ERi family extends our heartfelt sympathy and aloha to the family and friends of our employees,” said John White, who added that no other ERi employees were injured in the incident.

 

The zip line that failed is located four miles mauka of Hawaii Belt Road in the Paukaa area.  It was not yet open to the public.

“This particular zip line had been in operation for a week when the operator had asked for the construction company to tighten the line to make it faster,” Madeiros said in a telephone interview with Khon2. 

 

The company that owns the zip line and seven others, Lava Hotline, disputed the police department’s claim that the line in question had been deemed to slow. 

 

“I don't where that came from,” said Lava Hotline owner Gary Marrow.  “I know that the workers were working on part of the course that wasn't open and that’s all I know.  It had nothing to do with us, so it was really just the construction guys.”

 

While Lava Hotline owns the actual zip line course, Marrow’s other company, KapohoKine Adventures, handles bookings and transportation to and from the site.  The zip lines that remain were immediately closed to the public.

 

“The course is being shut down for the next two weeks while we do an inspection and make sure that everything is totally safe,” said Marrow.  “It’s been a really difficult day.”

 

Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi promised a thorough investigation of the incident.  Zip lines are a growing industry in Hawaii that attracts both local and tourists alike.

 

“I want to express our concern and condolences to the families of both men involved in this tragedy,” Kenoi said in a written statement.

 

“We will conduct a careful, thorough review to determine all of the facts in this case.  We need to know exactly what happened and why, and we need to know exactly what went wrong.  When we have completed that review and the facts are known, we will release our findings publicly.”

 

Medeiros said the investigation would logically focus on what caused the wooden tower to collapse.  He said the police department would be consulting an expert or experts with knowledge of sudden structural failures.

http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/One-dead-one-injured-after-B...

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on September 22, 2011 at 6:29am

Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse

Author: Andrew Commons, Corporate Communications, BBC Published: 21st September 2011 22:56

Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse

Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse?St Mary's Street, BedfordBedford Borough Council has announced the temporary closure of a major town centre route after a survey revealed that St Mary's Street was in danger of collapse. Although the road surface between Duckmill Lane and the junction with Cauldwell St appears in reasonable condition, the surface conceals problems in the roads foundations caused by inadequate drainage.

The conditions mean that it will need to be completely rebuilt and resurfaced in a scheme which will take 8 weeks to complete, starting on 3 October.

Given the extent of work required, St Mary's St and the Town Bridge will be closed northbound (heading towards St Paul's Square and the town centre) throughout this period. Southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane.

Councillor Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for the Environment and Transport, said: "When the former County Council last repaired the road they did not tackle existing drainage problems and simply improved the road surface. As a result the ongoing drainage problems have weakened the structure of the road causing severe surface problems and leaving an unacceptable risk that the road will actually collapse.

"This is a safety issue requiring urgent work now to avoid the possibility of a more serious carriageway failure in the future. Because this is one of our major town centre roads leading to Bedford's historic town bridge we have to get these repairs done and we will do them properly.

"Nobody wants to have to cause this disruption but these works are vital, requiring major reconstruction and the installation of new drains.

"When we are carrying out road repairs we always try to minimise disruption to users by working outside of peak hours, such as overnight. This is not possible with this scheme as the amount of work required means it must be carried out during the day. Similarly, the depth of excavations required to rebuild the road means we cannot open the road outside of the working hours.

"I urge drivers to avoid the area if at all possible. If anyone has to drive into the town centre they should follow the signed diversion routes which we are putting in place to reduce disruption.

"We are sorry for the inconvience this will cause but I would like to reassure local residents this work is absolutely vital and will prevent more serious work being needed in the near future and provide a better long term surface."

The working hours at the site will be 7am - 7pm Monday to Friday. However, the traffic restrictions will remain in place 24 hours a day as the reconstruction of the road will prevent vehicles from using the road outside of these hours.

In order to ensure the new road will last as long as possible, a new drainage system will also be installed on the eastern side of the carriageway in addition to a new footpath. Further minor works are scheduled for the western pathway but these will take place after the Christmas period.

Full diversion routes will be signposted around the town centre and on major routes around the borough. Drivers who need to travel into the to

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