OK: US-59 bridge over 'Kerr Reservoir' hit by barge

[rickmastfan67]

Thankfully, didn't seem to be damaged, as they've reopened the bridge.

[CoreySamson]

Wow. I just drove that bridge for the first time just a week ago.

[LilianaUwU]

..why is this becoming a trend?

[Rothman]

..why is this becoming a trend?

It isn't.  Barges hit bridges with some frequency, anyway.  Bigger outlets are just reporting on them because of the topic du jour and everyone wants to get agitated over it.

[BigOkie]

Had flashbacks of 2002 reading that topic headline 🥺

[Bobby5280]

Yeah, I immediately thought about the barge strike on the I-40 bridge at Webbers Falls in 2002. That was horrible. In the years since that bridge was re-built a series of concrete dolphins were installed in the river waters North and South of the bridge to help protect it from barge strikes. The US-59 bridge just past the Robert S Kerr Dam doesn't look like it has any bridge pier protections at all.

[MikieTimT]

It's insane that there isn't at minimum dolphins at least the upstream side of the piers at the channel edge of every bridge on MKARNS.  We're not talking about a huge number of them.

[Scott5114]

Yes, but the ODOT budget for northeast Oklahoma is twelve dollars and a Burger King coupon, so.

[Bobby5280]

Elected officials need financial wiggle room in order to pander to voters with tax cut candy. Of course I think the candy dish is just about empty at this point, which explains them leaning more into culture war crap. Of course that does a good job of removing the welcome mat for many people and businesses wanting to relocate to a place where living costs aren't quite as extreme.

[MikieTimT]

Looking at the USACE MKARNS 12Ft. Channel web app, as well as satellite on Google Maps, every single river crossing upstream of this bridge already has at a minimum a set of dolphins on the main piers at channel's edge on the upstream side, likely from the Webber's Falls incident, which was literally the next crossing upstream of US-59 on the upper end of Kerr Lake.  Looking downstream, the next crossing is the KCS railroad crossing with dolphins on the upstream side of the channel piers, and the next crossing is the Garrison Ave. (US-64) bridge crossing into Ft. Smith, AR, also with upstream dolphins at channel's edge.  US-59 is literally the only crossing in Oklahoma on the MKARNS that doesn't have protective dolphins on the upstream side.  Since they are in the process of starting the NEPA for the 12Ft. dredging of the entire MKARNS, hopefully by 2030, perhaps that will be considered since they will have signficantly heavier barges with the 3ft. deeper drafts.

[MikieTimT]

What's even scarier, is that in Arkansas, NONE of the interstate bridges that cross the MKARNS have dolphins, but all of the railroad and nearly all of the state and US highway crossings do, at least on the upstream side of the piers.  I-540, I-430, I-30, and I-440 all have substantial traffic counts during daylight hours, much higher than I-40 at Webber's Falls.  I shudder to think of the mass casualty event that would cause, even with barges loaded for the current 9ft. draft.

[edwaleni]

Elected officials need financial wiggle room in order to pander to voters with tax cut candy. Of course I think the candy dish is just about empty at this point, which explains them leaning more into culture war crap. Of course that does a good job of removing the welcome mat for many people and businesses wanting to relocate to a place where living costs aren't quite as extreme.

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

It's the same reasons universities don't name their bathrooms after donors. Dorms and other buildings...yes.

[Scott5114]

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

Well, you could. Given that the Oklahoma legislature will name every snippet of road after some random person you've never heard of, I'm surprised nobody's tried it. (But then I don't know that there are even any dolphins in Oklahoma.)

[bwana39]

Elected officials need financial wiggle room in order to pander to voters with tax cut candy. Of course I think the candy dish is just about empty at this point, which explains them leaning more into culture war crap. Of course that does a good job of removing the welcome mat for many people and businesses wanting to relocate to a place where living costs aren't quite as extreme.

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

It's the same reasons universities don't name their bathrooms after donors. Dorms and other buildings...yes.

I once saw a donor acknowledgment on the door of a bathroom in a church. AFATG, virtually every item in that building had a plaque.

[Rothman]

Elected officials need financial wiggle room in order to pander to voters with tax cut candy. Of course I think the candy dish is just about empty at this point, which explains them leaning more into culture war crap. Of course that does a good job of removing the welcome mat for many people and businesses wanting to relocate to a place where living costs aren't quite as extreme.

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

It's the same reasons universities don't name their bathrooms after donors. Dorms and other buildings...yes.

I once saw a donor acknowledgment on the door of a bathroom in a church. AFATG, virtually every item in that building had a plaque.

Huh.  Maybe they wouldn't have needed to fundraise as much if they didn't spend so much on plaques.

[Plutonic Panda]

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

Well, you could. Given that the Oklahoma legislature will name every snippet of road after some random person you've never heard of, I'm surprised nobody's tried it. (But then I don't know that there are even any dolphins in Oklahoma.)

Doesn't the OKC zoo have one?

[MikieTimT]

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

Well, you could. Given that the Oklahoma legislature will name every snippet of road after some random person you've never heard of, I'm surprised nobody's tried it. (But then I don't know that there are even any dolphins in Oklahoma.)

Doesn't the OKC zoo have one?

Or the Jenks Aquarium?

[Scott5114]

You can't name a set of dolphins after a politician. That is why they aren't excited about them.

Well, you could. Given that the Oklahoma legislature will name every snippet of road after some random person you've never heard of, I'm surprised nobody's tried it. (But then I don't know that there are even any dolphins in Oklahoma.)

Doesn't the OKC zoo have one?

Or the Jenks Aquarium?

Jenks has sharks, not dolphins.

[Plutonic Panda]

As weird as it may seem, and it is illegal to whale in Oklahoma. I'm not sure if that applies just in general because in the United States whaling is illegal.

[rte66man]

Elected officials need financial wiggle room in order to pander to voters with tax cut candy. Of course I think the candy dish is just about empty at this point, which explains them leaning more into culture war crap. Of course that does a good job of removing the welcome mat for many people and businesses wanting to relocate to a place where living costs aren't quite as extreme.

WTF??? OF all people Bobby5280, I thought you would remember the millions ODOT spent on downstream side dolphins after the Webbers Falls incident. I know the US62 bridge at Muskogee cost in the neighborhood of $6 million with ODOT ponying up the majority of the cost.  The upstream side dolphins are original to the McClellan-Kerr Navigation system construction.

[Bobby5280]

The fact remains the US-59 bridge over the Arkansas River that was recently struck by a barge didn't have any protective dolphins around the bridge piers. I'm not going to applaud ODOT for taking action to remedy a problem after a horrible disaster happens (like what happened on I-40 at Webbers Falls).

Now that ODOT knows it is possible for a barge to strike the US-59 bridge maybe they'll do something about it.

[MikieTimT]

The fact remains the US-59 bridge over the Arkansas River that was recently struck by a barge didn't have any protective dolphins around the bridge piers. I'm not going to applaud ODOT for taking action to remedy a problem after a horrible disaster happens (like what happened on I-40 at Webbers Falls).

Now that ODOT knows it is possible for a barge to strike the US-59 bridge maybe they'll do something about it.

They could charge a toll for any barge that strikes their new US-59 dolphins, then it would be an easier sell for the legislature.  Just put some pinball bumper detection technology to know when it's hit and make it Plate Pay to the tow company after it takes a snap of the name of the towboat.

[Scott5114]

The fact remains the US-59 bridge over the Arkansas River that was recently struck by a barge didn't have any protective dolphins around the bridge piers. I'm not going to applaud ODOT for taking action to remedy a problem after a horrible disaster happens (like what happened on I-40 at Webbers Falls).

Now that ODOT knows it is possible for a barge to strike the US-59 bridge maybe they'll do something about it.

They could charge a toll for any barge that strikes their new US-59 dolphins, then it would be an easier sell for the legislature.  Just put some pinball bumper detection technology to know when it's hit and make it Plate Pay to the tow company after it takes a snap of the name of the towboat.

If you're going to add pinball technology, why not just put a giant pair of flippers there?

[MikieTimT]

The fact remains the US-59 bridge over the Arkansas River that was recently struck by a barge didn't have any protective dolphins around the bridge piers. I'm not going to applaud ODOT for taking action to remedy a problem after a horrible disaster happens (like what happened on I-40 at Webbers Falls).

Now that ODOT knows it is possible for a barge to strike the US-59 bridge maybe they'll do something about it.

They could charge a toll for any barge that strikes their new US-59 dolphins, then it would be an easier sell for the legislature.  Just put some pinball bumper detection technology to know when it's hit and make it Plate Pay to the tow company after it takes a snap of the name of the towboat.

If you're going to add pinball technology, why not just put a giant pair of flippers there?

And a catchment basin to store the tow until the tow company sends another towboat with a competent captain, completing the multi-ball scenario.