One More Reason Gas Tax Holiday Is Bad Idea
May 6, 2008
Bridge Maintenance Importance
A chunk of concrete decking roughly two by three feet broke out of an Interstate 30 bridge just east of downtown Dallas late Sunday night, punctuating the importance and the need for highway maintenance funding. The bridge, which is about 60 years old, carries about 200,000 vehicles per day, according to TxDOT spokesman Randy Black. TxDOT inspected this I-30 bridge just a few weeks ago and no problems were discovered. It is in an area that crosses over the Trinity River and Beckley Avenue. The spot that failed was over Beckley Avenue.
“The concrete decking broke loose under the asphalt overlay and then that fell also,” said Black. “The steel rebar stayed in place.” That factor allowed the structure to maintain its integrity, keeping the vehicles from actually falling through. According to Black, TxDOT had received one claim of vehicular damage at the time of Texas Contractor’s interview.
Fast Repairs
TxDOT crews, alerted to the situation, repaired the bridge during the overnight hours. Thanks to quick-setting concrete, the bridge was re-opened to traffic before the 7 a.m. Monday morning rush hour.
In Texas, “we don’t build what we can’t maintain,” said TxDOT Dallas District’s Randy Black. If a bridge gets a hole in it, we repair it.”
It is the gas tax dollars that fund the construction and maintenance of the nation’s highways. Our driving citizens’ safety is at stake. And then the politicians can spend next fall explaining why there are 200,000 to 300,000 more construction workers and suppliers without jobs.
Posted by Liz Moucka on May 6, 2008 | Comments (0)
