Last Wednesday, over 250 vehicles were hit and two people were injured by chunks of ice that fell from the newly constructed Port Mann Bridge that spans the Fraser River near Vancouver — the second longest bridge in North America and the widest in the world. An additional 30 drivers reported damage on the nearby Alex Fraser bridge. According to the Vancouver Sun, casualties include a Fiat 500 and a Suzuki Grand Vitara.
The ice emergency and subsequent temporary bridge closing were especially irksome to Vancouverites, as the Port Mann Bridge cost $3.4 billion to construct and just opened earlier this year. Last week’s storms were the first real-world tests of the bridge’s performance in inclement weather, and already politicians are holding the contractor responsible.
According to the Sun, the contract for building the new Port Mann Bridge stipulated that the “cables and structure shall be designed to avoid ice buildup from falling into traffic.” The contractor, Kiewit-Flatiron, wrapped the cables with plastic sheathing to prevent ice buildup from occurring, but the design quite obviously failed. Any repairs to the bridge — and to damaged cars — will be paid for by the contractor.
“This is the responsibility of the contractor,” said Mary Polak, BC transportation minister. “The taxpayer will not be on the hook for this.”
Indeed, the agency responsible for building the Port Mann Bridge has already reimbursed drivers for any insurance deductibles they’ve paid for damage caused by falling ice. In addition, the agency refunded all tolls paid for crossing the bridge during the hours ice was falling.
Though it’s uncommon, ice occasionally builds up on the cables of bridges, posing a threat to motorists traveling below. In 2007, 2009 and 2011, ice has fallen from the cable-stayed Veterans’ Glass City Skyway, in Toledo, OH. In each case, the bridge was closed until the ice melted. Similar problems have happened on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Tacoma, WA and the Zakim Bridge in Boston, MA. Other than the Port Mann, however, no other bridge has seen so much falling ice damage so many cars in so little time.
Photo: Flickr/TranBC
Bridge Design Defect Drops Ice on Canadian Motorists
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Bridge Design Defect Drops Ice on Canadian Motorists
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Bridge Design Defect Drops Ice on Canadian Motorists
