http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/07/19/desert-center-bridge-collapse/30395123/
QuoteOne person has been rescued from his or her car with moderate injuries after a bridge collapsed on Interstate 10 in Desert Center.
Fire officials described the collapsed bridge as half a mile east of Eagle Mountain Road near the Tex Wash.
The Tex Wash bridge is listed as functionally obsolete in the 2014 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1967, the bridge was listed as no longer adequate for its task. However, it was not listed as having structural defects that needed to be fixed.
All I-10 traffic is closed near Eagle Mountain Road. Eastbound traffic is closed at Chiriaco Summit and westbound traffic is closed at Corn Springs.
We have had very strange weather resulting form the remains of a Baja hurricane, I suspect a flash flood was involved.
This coming from the same state that saw wildfires directly affect I-15 not that long ago! That's some scary s---! :o
Wow, from what I saw, basically the flash flood washed out the embankment on either side of the bridge itself, and the bridge collapsed because the dirt around it was all gone. This was for the eastbound lanes. The westbound lanes had severe erosion and that bridge was also in danger of total collapse but thankfully it didn't.
If the bridges themselves are totally destroyed, that's going to take quite some time to rebuild, isn't it? It's not like they can shift traffic to the other side and keep things moving, because that one is basically trashed too from what I read. Wow, what a mess that's going to be...
Freeway in the middle of a desert. Flash floods happen too easily because of the dry soil which is unable to soak it up. Not surprised.
Quote from: Sonic99 on July 20, 2015, 04:20:07 AM
Wow, from what I saw, basically the flash flood washed out the embankment on either side of the bridge itself, and the bridge collapsed because the dirt around it was all gone. This was for the eastbound lanes. The westbound lanes had severe erosion and that bridge was also in danger of total collapse but thankfully it didn't.
If the bridges themselves are totally destroyed, that's going to take quite some time to rebuild, isn't it? It's not like they can shift traffic to the other side and keep things moving, because that one is basically trashed too from what I read. Wow, what a mess that's going to be...
There was a similar collapse in 1995 on Interstate 5 in the San Joaquin Valley. Flatbed railroad cars were used as the platform of a temporary bridge (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/95fall/p95au2.cfm), which opened 10 days after the collapse. You can't drive 70 mph over flatbed rail cars so there are traffic delays, but a solution like that at least gets the highway functioning again.
Is this I-10 bridge collapse make a good reason to revisit (re-)extending US-60, at least along AZ-72, AZ-95, AZ-95 Spur, and CA-62, as an alternative/detour route to I-10?
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/9144438023_f70cf4ef39_b.jpg)
As has been noted earlier in the thread, the apparent cause for the bridge collapse was undermining of the abutment due to the flooding. Both bridges suffered undermining with the eastbound span getting the worst of it. The plan is to repair the damage to the westbound span and build a couple of temporary crossovers on either side of the bridge and run two-way traffic on the westbound span while the eastbound bridge is replaced.
iPhone
The 2-3 times I have driven that stretch the ADT was non-existant.
Quote from: Rover_0 on July 20, 2015, 01:19:18 PM
Is this I-10 bridge collapse make a good reason to revisit (re-)extending US-60, at least along AZ-72, AZ-95, AZ-95 Spur, and CA-62, as an alternative/detour route to I-10?
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/9144438023_f70cf4ef39_b.jpg)
That was my thought too. Given that the SoCal metroplex is the biggest on the West Coast it needs alternate routes to keep the tens of millions of folks there taken care of.
Rick
The official detour according to http://www.kesq.com/news/road-closures-due-to-i10-bridge-collapse/34251824 appears to be:
QuoteInterstate 10 is closed east of Indio from the 86 Expressway on. That's forcing all traffic to go south on the 86. You'll take that all the way to Interstate-8, almost at the U.S.-Mexican border. Then head east to Yuma, get on State Highway-95 back up to interstate-10 at Quartzsite and from there you're clear to Phoenix.
Interstate 10 westbound is being diverted in Blythe at intake road. Traffic is being routed onto State-Highway 95 northbound up to Highway 62.
Then traffic will head west through Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley and then back to Interstate-10-just west of Palm Springs near Whitewater.
SR 86 south to SR 78 east is another option, but I'm guessing they are not highlighting that route due to the undulating terrain and sharp curves along its route. At least SR 86, SR 78, and SR 111 combined make a continuous four-lane route. But it is a significant detour from I-10.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-10-bridge-collapse-travel-woes-32560309
QuoteWhile the bridge should have been fine if the flood came straight down the gully, this time it swept through at an angle that pushed the water to one bank, digging away the soil at the gully's edge where the bridge reconnected with the road bed, California Department of Transportation spokeswoman Vanessa Wiseman said.
Caltrans was not yet sure why the flow followed that path, but such redirections are not unusual in sandy desert soil, she said.
Nine inspectors fanned out Monday to check all 44 bridges along a 20-mile stretch of I-10 after a second bridge showed signs of damage following the storm Sunday, according to Caltrans. They also planned to inspect bridges across the large swath of Southern California where the remnants of a tropical storm off Baja California dumped unusual deluges this month.
Late Monday, Caltrans concluded that the westbound span about 50 miles west of the Arizona state line could have a limited reopening within weeks. Work crews plan to shore it up – footing that once rested on ground had the soil swept from under it – and eastbound traffic could then use one of its two lanes, agency spokesman Will Shuck said.
While he did not have an exact timeframe for the limited reopening, he said, "we're certainly not talking about months." Rebuilding the eastbound span would take longer.
When inspectors visited the bridge in March, they found no structural issues, according to Caltrans. The inspection report shows that the bridge had minor cracks. The only work recommended was to upgrade the railing, and that was done several years ago.
The span's rating was a 91.5 out of 100, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration. It was deemed "functionally obsolete," a label Caltrans spokeswoman Wiseman said reflected not its strength or durability but the fact that its 1967 construction style requires motorists to slow as they approach.
Many motorists speeding through the desert might cross the bridge without knowing. It spanned a shallow desert gully, just 40 feet wide. Such washes, as they are known, streak the desert floor and flash to life as rains are funneled into them much like tributaries can swell a river.
The bridge washed out as rain was falling at a rate of 1.5 inches an hour. A total of 6.7 inches fell Sunday in Desert Center, said National Weather Service forecaster Ken Waters. Showers and thunderstorms in drought-stricken southern and central California set rainfall records in what is usually a dry month.
Quote from: andy3175 on July 21, 2015, 12:40:36 AM
SR 86 south to SR 78 east is another option, but I'm guessing they are not highlighting that route due to the undulating terrain and sharp curves along its route. At least SR 86, SR 78, and SR 111 combined make a continuous four-lane route. But it is a significant detour from I-10.
There's an advisory on the Caltrans website stating that CA-78 is also closed due to flooding and/or flood damage.
QuoteThe 2-3 times I have driven that stretch the ADT was non-existant.
According to CalTrans data, the segment had a 2012 AADT of 22,500. Not empty. But not exactly full for a 4-lane freeway, either.
This is my eastbound detour:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.0756186,-117.5446664/33.4596826,-112.4336571/@33.7169216,-113.7045511,8.14z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m15!3m4!1m2!1d-116.9266436!2d34.8253897!3s0x80c489c5bcd40c05:0xf8a72a0f20cf5cb7!3m4!1m2!1d-114.4347435!2d34.7138415!3s0x80d1e188e1711859:0x46d023191b6da9cd!3m4!1m2!1d-113.2007106!2d34.385299!3s0x80d2fcb86e32f99d:0x6bc5e935326e9a0e!1m0!3e0
(Sorry if it is too long)
My westbound detour:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/33.4596826,-112.4336571/34.0756186,-117.5446664/@34.0837576,-114.7473142,7.4z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0
In a historical time setting, what are the chance of flooding like this in that part CA? (one in a hundred years, for example)
What eventually happens that much rain in a desert? Adsorbed in the soil? Runs off to some water collection source such as a lake?
I've seen them put up a temporary bridge up here (Louisiana) by driving wooden pilings then putting preformed concrete decking on them.
Quote from: pctech on July 21, 2015, 03:18:52 PM
In a historical time setting, what are the chance of flooding like this in that part CA? (one in a hundred years, for example)
What eventually happens that much rain in a desert? Adsorbed in the soil? Runs off to some water collection source such as a lake?
I've seen them put up a temporary bridge up here (Louisiana) by driving wooden pilings then putting preformed concrete decking on them.
The desert southwest is always pretty susceptible to flash flooding like this, but especially during monsoon season (roughly July to September-October).
This part of the desert has relatively hard soil. Caliche (almost cement-like hardened soil) can be quite common relatively shallowly below soil surface. So in a flash rainstorm like this that brings a lot of rain in a short amount of time, the ground is too hard to absorb a great deal of water, causing considerable water runoff. In rural areas like this, water just runs downhill through gulleys or washes until it meets is absorbed, detained, out runs into a larger permanent body of water. In urbanized areas, they may build flood channels and detention basins to capture the stormwater to somewhat control the flow.
The Las Vegas valley, where I grew up, has been constantly building flood control infrastructure for 30+ years, despite averaging less than 4 inches of rain per year. These flash floods can be crazy and destructive. (The destructive force of water is part of the reason Hoover Dam exists.)
Quote from: roadfro on July 21, 2015, 04:21:00 PM
Quote from: pctech on July 21, 2015, 03:18:52 PM
In a historical time setting, what are the chance of flooding like this in that part CA? (one in a hundred years, for example)
What eventually happens that much rain in a desert? Adsorbed in the soil? Runs off to some water collection source such as a lake?
I've seen them put up a temporary bridge up here (Louisiana) by driving wooden pilings then putting preformed concrete decking on them.
The desert southwest is always pretty susceptible to flash flooding like this, but especially during monsoon season (roughly July to September-October).
This part of the desert has relatively hard soil. Caliche (almost cement-like hardened soil) can be quite common relatively shallowly below soil surface. So in a flash rainstorm like this that brings a lot of rain in a short amount of time, the ground is too hard to absorb a great deal of water, causing considerable water runoff. In rural areas like this, water just runs downhill through gulleys or washes until it meets is absorbed, detained, out runs into a larger permanent body of water. In urbanized areas, they may build flood channels and detention basins to capture the stormwater to somewhat control the flow.
The Las Vegas valley, where I grew up, has been constantly building flood control infrastructure for 30+ years, despite averaging less than 4 inches of rain per year. These flash floods can be crazy and destructive. (The destructive force of water is part of the reason Hoover Dam exists.)
Here's a phrase I like to use: "Nature holds all the aces." When you talk about almost seven inches of rain falling in a matter of only a few hours, especially in a spot that doesn't get a hell of a lot of rain in the first place, all that water has to go
somewhere, and man's works are frequently susceptible to nature's rampages. This one is not just on inadequate or poorly maintained infrastructure like the I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota some years back; with all that rain falling at once in an area that might average that much
in a whole year,, it's possible even a new more modern bridge might've been compromised at least to some degree.
It'll make the drive between Phoenix and L.A. that much more tedious.
FWIW, Ramona where I used to live, had 4 inches of rain in 1-2 hours at the same time I am surprised there was not more damage. I would be curious which CA 78 bridge is out.
78 is down to one lane near Glamis, hence its omission from the detour list.
For long-distance travel to Phoenix, I'd suggest AZ 85 instead of AZ 95.
http://sv08data.dot.ca.gov/memos/files/comalert/072115_0.pdf
Caltrans says that Granite (their emergency contractor) can have the westbound lanes open by Friday at 12PM PDT. Keep your fingers crossed.
What is the exact location / milepost of this washout? Near Indio? Would suspect the collapsed span did not have a shoulder, as they were not required on Interstate bridges before a certain date - mid seventies perhaps? Any new bridge should have an extra wide right breakdown lane - 12 feet, and perhaps spare capacity for an additional future third lane on the inside, although it may be so far outside LA metro that it would never be needed. Gabions near the abutments / wingwalls should help prevent undermining by future floods, along with paving the bottom of the wash with concrete in the area of the bridges.
Quote from: DJStephens on July 23, 2015, 04:26:50 AM
What is the exact location / milepost of this washout?
This is the bridge that washed out, eastbound lanes at "Tex Wash":
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.704102,-115.442385,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6JQHwa5cccQ7vZ8lXzL3g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@33.704102,-115.442385,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6JQHwa5cccQ7vZ8lXzL3g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Looking at the picture, the only thing that would make the bridge "functionally obsolete" was the narrow left shoulder.
I thought I read that the only deficiency was the side rails
Quote from: Big John on July 23, 2015, 08:16:26 PM
Looking at the picture, the only thing that would make the bridge "functionally obsolete" was the narrow left shoulder.
Measuring on Google Maps gives me 4.07 feet, which, if accurate, fits the standards.
^^ AASHTO recommendations for a divided highway with 2 lanes in one direction is a 6' left shoulder and a 10' right shoulder, though a 4' left shoulder is allowed it will be flagged as functionally obsolete.
Between my hometown Indio CA and the Colorado River, the Tex Wash bridge was rated "A" earlier this year for having good infrastructure. Now, Caltrans has to examine and possibly repair bridges along the I-10 in So CA. We cannot have that happen again, esp. in an urban area with more traffic and possible deaths or injuries from a future bridge collapse.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 23, 2015, 08:10:38 PM
Quote from: DJStephens on July 23, 2015, 04:26:50 AM
What is the exact location / milepost of this washout?
This is the bridge that washed out, eastbound lanes at "Tex Wash":
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.704102,-115.442385,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6JQHwa5cccQ7vZ8lXzL3g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@33.704102,-115.442385,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6JQHwa5cccQ7vZ8lXzL3g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
thanks for the link, figured the bridge in question was one of those early ones without a R shoulder. Such as the I-10 crossing of the dry Gila River wash just east of Phoenix.
The Tex Wash bridge was partially reopened with one lane in each direction last Friday 7/24.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/07/24/portion-of-10-fwy-to-reopen-at-noon-following-bridge-damage/
QuoteOfficials reopened a portion of the 10 Freeway on Friday just five days after flash flooding damaged several bridges in the area.
One lane reopened in each direction of the freeway at noon, officials said. ...
Repairs were also made to two other bridges, Adair Ditch Bridge and Hillock Ditch Bridge, which were found in need of upgrades on the freeway. ...
On Thursday, federal officials announced the immediate availability of $2 million in funding to help cover costs that are associated with rebuilding the roadway.
The relief funding will be provided by the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program.
Crews are expected to focus on the eastbound side of the roadway.
Motorists were advised to use detour routes such as Arizona Route 95 to Interstate 40, Interstate 8 to State Route 111 to Route 86, or State Route 177 to State Route 62 to the 10 Freeway in order to avoid the closure area.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/07/23/feds-giving-caltrans-2-million--fix-collapsed-bridge/30583765/
QuoteCalifornia will receive $2 million in federal funding to help fix the Tex Wash bridge along Interstate 10, officials said Thursday.
The bridge injured one person and shut down traffic between Los Angeles and Phoenix when it collapsed over the weekend.
A temporary detour that will allow traffic to flow in both directions is expected to be completed by noon Friday. State officials have yet to estimate how long it will be until the entire bridge is rebuilt. ...
The eastbound I-10 bridge failed during a major storm Sunday, when fast-moving flood waters shifted the dirt that held its foundations in place. A pickup was caught in the collapse and Desert Center resident Bryon Castor was hospitalized with moderate to major injuries.
Since then, motorists have been forced to take alternate routes that have added at least an hour to their drives. A local economist estimated the bridge collapse will result in more than $1.5 million of unexpected costs to travelers and businesses – and 19,000 wasted hours for truck drivers – per day.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/09/24/54619/i-10-bridge-reopens-following-storm-washing-out-pr/
QuoteThe washed out Interstate 10 bridge in Riverside County reopened Thursday around 12:15 p.m., a week ahead of schedule, Caltrans spokesperson Terri Kasinga told KPCC. One lane was opened earlier in the day, with the second set to reopen by the end of business Thursday, according to a Caltrans release.
"There's still going to be some continuing work in the river bottom, on the structure of course on the westbound side and eastbound side, but we're not anticipating any impacts to traffic or any major lane closures," Kasinga said.
The new eastbound I-10 Tex Wash Bridge near Desert Center has reopened two months after a July 19 storm washed away the original bridge. The westbound bridge has also been restricted, but it's set to be restored to two lanes by midafternoon Friday, according to the release. Traffic breaks to remove k-rail and re-stripe the road between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. may lead to breaks in traffic that last up to 10 minutes, according to Caltrans.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/traffic/2015/09/24/tex-wash-bridge-reopens-week-early/72778852/
QuoteCars whizzed past construction workers on Interstate 10 near Desert Center Thursday afternoon as the final traffic cones were removed from the roadway, signaling the reopening of the Tex Wash Bridge after a two-month closure.
One lane of the new eastbound bridge was opened early in the day, while the second lane was cleared just before 5 p.m., making the way for trucks and cars at the end of the workday.
Westbound lanes of I-10 will be restored to two lanes by Friday as well, although intermittent 10-minute traffic breaks will be needed to remove the temporary divider and re-stripe the road between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. ...
Crews have been working 24-hours-a-day for two months to rebuild the bridge, which partially collapsed during a severe July 19 rainstorm.
The repair schedule was ambitious, with similar projects taking 11/2 years, according to Caltrans, but the accelerated speed pushed the cost to about $5 million due to increased overtime pay and detour development.
Precast material brought in from Perris also helped speed up the construction, Prunty said.
The project's timeline was prioritized partially due to the bridge's impact on interstate trade.
The thoroughfare, which is traveled by thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles every day, follows a path through Southern California via the Coachella Valley to the Arizona border. According to Caltrans, 40 percent of the country's imports flow from Southern California ports to other states. Of the bridge's average daily flow of 24,000 vehicles, about 9,500 are trucks.
A report came out describing why the bridge may have collapsed last summer...
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2016/04/21/tex-wash-bridge-collapse/83340476/
QuoteThe eastbound portion of the Tex Wash Bridge, a seemingly unremarkable bridge on I-10 near Desert Center, collapsed after nearly seven inches of rain led to historic flooding on the morning of July 19. ...
A motorist, Bryon Castor, was nearly killed, and his passenger, and Scott Meyn, was seriously injured. Both plan to sue Caltrans.
Although the flooding was epic, (study co-author Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl) argues that the Tex Wash Bridge could have survived if it had been built differently. His research paper says that construction crews reshaped the wash when the bridge was built in 1967, squeezing a wide river delta into a narrow channel and forcing the flood path into a curve, which eroded the eastern base of the bridge.
Astaneh also discovered that bridge foundations were built with no underground piles anchoring them into the soil.
"This was not good engineering," Astaneh told The Desert Sun last year, while conducting research at the bridge. "In good engineering, you work with nature, you don't fight against it."
"Because the flood will always win."
Link to report: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2806857-Tex-Wash-Bridge-Study.html
Quote from: andy3175 on May 15, 2016, 12:58:30 AM
A report came out describing why the bridge may have collapsed last summer...
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2016/04/21/tex-wash-bridge-collapse/83340476/
QuoteThe eastbound portion of the Tex Wash Bridge, a seemingly unremarkable bridge on I-10 near Desert Center, collapsed after nearly seven inches of rain led to historic flooding on the morning of July 19. ...
A motorist, Bryon Castor, was nearly killed, and his passenger, and Scott Meyn, was seriously injured. Both plan to sue Caltrans.
Although the flooding was epic, (study co-author Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl) argues that the Tex Wash Bridge could have survived if it had been built differently. His research paper says that construction crews reshaped the wash when the bridge was built in 1967, squeezing a wide river delta into a narrow channel and forcing the flood path into a curve, which eroded the eastern base of the bridge.
Astaneh also discovered that bridge foundations were built with no underground piles anchoring them into the soil.
"This was not good engineering," Astaneh told The Desert Sun last year, while conducting research at the bridge. "In good engineering, you work with nature, you don't fight against it."
"Because the flood will always win."
Link to report: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2806857-Tex-Wash-Bridge-Study.html
Two things that I never saw an answer too about the Tex Wash Bridge always bothered me. First; what was the state of the bridge on Ragsdale Road which can be seen just north of I-10? For those who don't know Ragsdale Road was part of US 60/70 before I-10 was built. If that bridge had been maintained by Riverside County and was intact after this storm, in theory after being inspected could have been used a detour from exit 189 to CA 177 in Desert Center at exit 192? Also the Caltrans detour routes instructed people to go way out of their way to use I-8 or I-40 when CA 62 was available for use as well and even could have been reached from exit 192 on 177....so why was that? I would love to see what the explanation was with CA 62, it's not like we're talking a low quality road that doesn't receive much traffic.
The trillions spent on the 15-year war on terror would come in handy to renovate the country's infrastructure, like the Tex Wash bridge. It's not like the Brooklyn or Golden Gate or the 26-mile Lake Pontchartrain one, it's a relatively small bridge on a stretch of freeway in the middle of desert. These bridges may have a long life, but their time is not eternal, infinite or immortal (whatever).
Quote from: Desert Man on May 21, 2016, 05:02:46 PM
The trillions spent on the 15-year war on terror would come in handy to renovate the country's infrastructure, like the Tex Wash bridge. It's not like the Brooklyn or Golden Gate or the 26-mile Lake Pontchartrain one, it's a relatively small bridge on a stretch of freeway in the middle of desert. These bridges may have a long life, but their time is not eternal, infinite or immortal (whatever).
But that's Caltrans responsibility and not the Federal government to maintain I-10 in California. So whatever your views on recent wars may or may not be they probably didn't affect the Caltrans maintenance budget all that much. Things that would affect it would be things like holding onto too many routes that should have been relinquished to localities and counties years ago. Basically what happen with this wash out was a freak flood from...if I recall correct a 50 year level flood plane event. It's really debatable if anything like this could have really been headed off.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 21, 2016, 09:27:27 PM
Quote from: Desert Man on May 21, 2016, 05:02:46 PM
The trillions spent on the 15-year war on terror would come in handy to renovate the country's infrastructure, like the Tex Wash bridge. It's not like the Brooklyn or Golden Gate or the 26-mile Lake Pontchartrain one, it's a relatively small bridge on a stretch of freeway in the middle of desert. These bridges may have a long life, but their time is not eternal, infinite or immortal (whatever).
But that's Caltrans responsibility and not the Federal government to maintain I-10 in California. So whatever your views on recent wars may or may not be they probably didn't affect the Caltrans maintenance budget all that much. Things that would affect it would be things like holding onto too many routes that should have been relinquished to localities and counties years ago. Basically what happen with this wash out was a freak flood from...if I recall correct a 50 year level flood plane event. It's really debatable if anything like this could have really been headed off.
Oh OK, makes sense. I'm aware the constitution calls for federal services divided into states and the states divided into counties. Whoever does the job is a smaller government unit representing the community it serves. CalTrans might not be doing their job on freeways, nor is Riverside county on back roads.
Quote from: Desert Man on May 28, 2016, 06:40:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 21, 2016, 09:27:27 PM
Quote from: Desert Man on May 21, 2016, 05:02:46 PM
The trillions spent on the 15-year war on terror would come in handy to renovate the country's infrastructure, like the Tex Wash bridge. It's not like the Brooklyn or Golden Gate or the 26-mile Lake Pontchartrain one, it's a relatively small bridge on a stretch of freeway in the middle of desert. These bridges may have a long life, but their time is not eternal, infinite or immortal (whatever).
But that's Caltrans responsibility and not the Federal government to maintain I-10 in California. So whatever your views on recent wars may or may not be they probably didn't affect the Caltrans maintenance budget all that much. Things that would affect it would be things like holding onto too many routes that should have been relinquished to localities and counties years ago. Basically what happen with this wash out was a freak flood from...if I recall correct a 50 year level flood plane event. It's really debatable if anything like this could have really been headed off.
Oh OK, makes sense. I'm aware the constitution calls for federal services divided into states and the states divided into counties. Whoever does the job is a smaller government unit representing the community it serves. CalTrans might not be doing their job on freeways, nor is Riverside county on back roads.
That's part of the issue, in that there is no longer Federal funds available for highway use like there was when the Interstates were being built. Basically now it's all upon the states to totally maintain the routes and like you said you get varying degrees of quality. Personally I always thought I-8 in Imperial Valley and parts of I-40 east of Barstow were in rougher shape than in I-10. One of the problems with Caltrans I have vs another agency like ADOT is that they maintain too many roads when they ought to be relinquished to the counties faster. I'm not looking at ADOT as any sort of paragon of excellence in road maintenance but they have a much more condensed catalog of routes which frees Infrastructure costs when something needs to be fixed. I ironically when on a huge rant about this in a renumbering thread that I made for California to show example of how many secondary roads Caltrans really maintains and of course my opinion on each.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 23, 2015, 08:10:38 PM
Quote from: DJStephens on July 23, 2015, 04:26:50 AM
What is the exact location / milepost of this washout?
This is the bridge that washed out, eastbound lanes at "Tex Wash":
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.704102,-115.442385,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6JQHwa5cccQ7vZ8lXzL3g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@33.704102,-115.442385,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6JQHwa5cccQ7vZ8lXzL3g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Interesting that the replacement does not appear to have "approach slabs" They seem to be frequently used in certain locales now. The shoulder does not appear to be ten feet wide, only six, guessing they could "grandfather" that in, as the pre-existing one was under ten feet wide?