Bridges in the area are thoroughly inspected not less than every two years.
NEW ORLEANS — Tuesday began with disaster in Baltimore when a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused it to collapse. Despite its distance from southeast Louisiana, the film can have raised questions on our infrastructure, as bridges are a key a part of many residents’ day by day commutes.
DOTD says you’ll be able to never be 100% sure there won’t ever be an accident or collapse in an area, but overall our bridges are safe and in good condition. Bridges in the area are thoroughly inspected not less than every two years.
“They take a look at the deck, the substructure, which is the pillars and columns. They’re the superstructure, which might be anywhere below the deck, they usually’re in search of cracks, settling, any variety of rust, they’re in search of hanging components or missing bolts,” said DOTD Engineer District Administrator Scott Boyle.
During inspections, bridges are rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the very best condition.
“A good bridge can have a value above seven, and we start to really look closely at bridges when they have a value of 4 or lower,” Boyle said. “For the most part, over 85 percent of our bridges are in fair or better condition.”
DOTD says the Crescent City Connection is one in all the most heavily traveled bridges in the state and was last inspected in the summer of 2020, with an inspection scheduled for this summer. It is currently rated 6 by DOTD.
New Orleans can be one in all the largest ports in the world. DOTD says it has put precautions in place to forestall the ship from colliding with the bridge.
“On the bridges, we could have a system of sea fenders at the bottom of the waterway. The marine fender system serves as a protective system for the bridge itself to deflect a vessel if it were to approach the bridge,” David Brasset, district bridge engineer for the bridge, said the New Orleans DOTD district.
Boyle also says that in the event of an alliance, the captain or pilot notifies them they usually immediately notify the Coast Guard.
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