In between waking up at 6am this morning and arriving at the office at 8.30am today, I learnt that a bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during late afternoon rush hour in Minneapolis, Minnesota killing at least nine (said a CNN report earlier on its website) four people and injuring scores more.
According to reports, parts of the bridge had been closed to facilitate repairs to the structure. The city’s fire chief said this was a structural collapse. Six years ago, the Minnesota Department of Transportation found “several fatigue problems” in the bridge’s approach spans and “poor fatigue details” on the main truss.
This collapse set me thinking this lunchtime. Can it happen here to the Penang Bridge?
Earlier last month on 8 July 2007, it was reported in the newspapers that UEM Builders, the company undertaking the RM200mil expansion of the Penang Bridge project, had acknowledged encountering some technical problems due to intensified piling works too near to the bridge. Certain areas had experienced land-induced settlement problems, meaning some existing structures were sinking.
Most times, you have to take the official explanation or assurance at face value because you’re unable to verify it yourself. But if you are a regular commuter across the bridge, you can’t help worrying. At the back of my mind, can we positively dismiss the “land-induced settlement problems” without wanting to know more?
There are questions that need answers. For instance, how has the land settlement problem affected the bridge’s structural design? Who is going to be responsible if a disaster strikes the bridge tomorrow? Does the Penang state government have a disaster recovery plan? Think about the thousands of bridge commuters. Lives will be displaced and the economy in utter disarray. Think about the people who may be directly on the bridge IF it ever collapse. Lives will surely be lost since the bridge is across the sea, not just a river. Worse still, in a worst case scenario, the collapse of a section may very well lead to a domino effect that affects the whole length. And think about the long-term effect to Penang’s economy and reputation.
I am really concerned and I would like to request the Penang government to demand that UEM Builders update bridge users weekly on the latest regarding its structural safety. The bridge must be monitored constantly and a 24-hour electronic monitoring system must be put in place to detect warning signs of any impending disaster. Please do it now. Immediately. At once. Please….