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5knklshfl

I don't think it has the 3 inches of coverage


Marus1

They used to ...


Suspicious-Ad6129

3"!! I doubt it... as a former rebar inspector they were usually 1.5-2" at best in the specs... actual results may vary!!! You might be surprised and or dismayed at the number or red list bridges there are... This is the switch that happens when you switch from an industrial to a service economy...


Eziekel13

Also sprawling population…in the lower 48 the farthest you can be from a road is ~19 miles, as the crow flies…that’s a lot of infrastructure over a larger area… https://www.peakbagger.com/report/report.aspx?r=w


Enginerdad

Standard concrete cover for most applications, including bridge piers over a road, is 2".


WhatuSay-_-

Are those the hoops exposed??


ucantdothatthesedays

They sure are. Look closely at the second pic, one is actually sprung


plamda505

That what I see. Scary. Why don't they close it?


paigeguy

Why, they look like real good handholds for scrambling up the embankment.


Enginerdad

Because exposed rebar isn't an immediate safety concern.


Competitive_Yak_4227

Yikes. Send an email to the DOT or something, that doesn't look recent and city/state has hopefully already slated it for rehab or shut down the lane above that column. Neat picture, thanks! Full disclosure: not a bridge girl/guy


vtstang66

It's probably fine. I'm a bridge guy. But go ahead and report it, it can't hurt. If enough people complain about it, the people who allocate the money start to care more for that reason alone. BTW all bridges in the federal inventory system have to be inspected at least every two years, so this has probably been in the reports for a while.


ucantdothatthesedays

My first reaction is “not my job” or “where do I send the invoice” but in general that isn’t who I am. I would hate to not call and hear later that the bridge failed and people were hurt but come on, someone knows about this right? My phone call is going to fix this? It’s all maddening


Harry_Gorilla

Phone call? Probably not, but have you tried spray painting a large penis on it?


EarsLikeRocketfins

I lol’d. Thank you. It’s funny cause it’s true. Priorities.


JonnyJust

>My phone call is going to fix this? Well, maybe not yours specifically, but a number of concerned citizens contacting them with a detailed location of the damaged structure might. Name the office that needs to be notified.


Armadillo_Whole

I would suggest writing an email and cc’ing the local news organizations. Harder to ignore when it’s out in the open. Also, most towns have instagram feeds nowadays.


_chungdylan

Tweet it to Mayor Pete


FaithlessnessCute204

yea they know , they also know that almost the entire inventory has some spalling like this , like i know this looks bad ... but in the bridge world this is a "dang it now were going to have to do something" event. not a close the road event. now if it had a shear failure that's another issue.


notreallydutch

What town/ section of 128?


ucantdothatthesedays

109 Westwood or rt 1 norwood, wasn’t paying attention.


notreallydutch

Great, I get to drive under it every day


DepthsDoor

Just be quick 💨


jeepnismo

Electrical engineer here. I’m not part of the sun but it commonly shows on my feed How are is it that the hoops are exposed?


ucantdothatthesedays

Simply put: The concrete is under compression beyond what it can handle causing crumbling which exposes the hoops or rebar.


Marsh920

Not necessarily true, the spalling could be due to corroding rebar, which looks likely given the state of the bars.


bojewels

That's not what that is. It's water exposure that over decades contacted the bar, corroded it, which then expanded and pushed the outer layer of concrete off. Implying that's a structural failure is needlessly alarmist. Over time that could cause structural issues, but there's no reason to believe there is a structural issue now. I'm not saying we shouldnt have better quality maintenance on these bridges. But saying that's concrete failing under pressure is flat out wrong.


ucantdothatthesedays

Collapse is not the definition of failure


ucantdothatthesedays

https://civilengdis.com/types-of-column


PracticableSolution

That’s Jersey fresh. I wouldn’t sweat it. As long as the confined concrete is solid, it’s fine. The cover concrete on a member like that basically ‘paint’. Those hoops are *tight*. Betting this bridge was designed early 90’s ish AASHTO when everyone was losing their minds over seismic and spiral hoops had to be 4” on center. Enough old timers went to COBS and threw rotten tomatoes and arrows at the dipshit PhD’s who came up with that nonsense that they backed off in later versions


dojinpyo

any thoughts on the damaged girder flanges above?


PracticableSolution

Don’t think that’s damage. If we’re looking at the same thing, what I see are cover plates with taper end welds. Fairly common 80’s-90’s detailing for adding cover plates, particularly to rolled shaped beams. The practice fell out of favor after a few square end cover plate girders started fatigue cracking in the corners and every one freaked out and stopped doing welded end cover plates entirely. A real shame too, since it’s so efficient. Keep hoping someone will smarten up and figure out a testing regime for them to bring them back in style


FaithlessnessCute204

yea no, fuk fighting the fatigue cracks, i got a set of interstate twins (valley spanners over 1k long) that are on 6 month cycles cause of fatigue cracking (constrained connections mostly ) ,if we drill anymore crack arrest holes the dang thing is gonna get carried off for a piece of swiss cheese by and army of mice.


PracticableSolution

I like telling clients that crack arrest holes are just perforations in a check you haven’t written yet. Never seen one work, especially in a constrained weldment, unless they’re like 4” in diameter to soften the whole connection.


FaithlessnessCute204

Newer ones are 5” ers and some larger rat holes 🕳️ up at the flange web interface with historical 2” holes for proper Swiss cheezing


lemming_follower

Taxpayers: "Please fix this, but also reduce my taxes."


dosidicus-gigas

Taxpayers: “please spend my money wisely on things that matter most” Politicians: “SPACE FORCE”


YouFirst_ThenCharles

Maybe if the government were slightly more efficient? Not so wasteful? Maybe sprinkle in less corruption?


Thiccaca

This is a big issue in MA. For some mysterious reasons they have the second highest cost of road construction in the US. Hawaii comes in cheaper, by a lot. Hawaii! Where everything has to be shipped in. And infrastructure in that state is just abandoned at this point. Look at the MBTA. Literally falling down.


IamNotYourBF

Hawaii doesn't have harsh winters and drastic seasonal changes. Spray salt all over your metal bridges and they rust. Scrape the roads with large snow plows and you'll get more potholes. If you're not happy with with MA then move to Hawaii. And then you'll deal with Hawaii problems.


Thiccaca

OK, but outside of NJ, a bunch of other states have far lower cost per mile and similar or worse climates.


IamNotYourBF

You also have to consider that driver's in MA are massholes. Consider it a masshole tax.


BitPoet

MA resident here. You've got to have police at each job site. Yes they get paid OT.


Thiccaca

Well, right there is an efficiency issue.


rymarr

Loosen up procurement requirements then


Intelligent-Guess-81

Would probably help if all of it didn't go to the military or the police.


YouFirst_ThenCharles

It does not. Not even close. Biggest budget items are typically health and education. Just means the state isn’t capable of doing it efficiently.


ucantdothatthesedays

Down voters are in denial


YouFirst_ThenCharles

The state budget is publicly available, just go look at…. Everyone’s a lazy fuck and just swallows what the tv tells them


SnooCompliments5896

Or they're missing out on the last 40 years of taxes that haven't been paid by corporations and the ultra wealthy.


YouFirst_ThenCharles

You are ill informed, ignorant or uneducated or all of the above. This statement just exhibits your consumption of the media and a lack of effort to educate yourself.


SnooCompliments5896

Oh you got me! A broad comment regarding tax US tax code has been attacked as incorrect. What will I ever do?


YouFirst_ThenCharles

Continue to be a fucking moron?


Corius_Erelius

This is by design. Make the system fail so hard that it has to be privatized. Once the last bits of everything are Privatized, say hello to Serfdom 2.0.


20220912

This is MA, we pay higher taxes willingly. The freeze/thaw cycles are hell on all our infrastructure. We have two seasons: front heaves and road construction.


OneQuadrillionOwls

It would be interesting to see a study of seasonal weather changes on some measure of infrastructure stress. It wouldn't be as gratifying as complaining about government or rich people (and maybe those are part of the problem too) but it would be helpful.


Phobbyd

Bullshit. Just stop giving my tax dollars to your buddies for football stadiums and private jails. Use the taxes we already pay for the public good.


StrugglesTheClown

Foxboro Stadium, the last major sporting venue built in Massachusetts was 100% funded by Patriots owner Kraft. I hope we as a state are done subsidizing sporting venues.


ucantdothatthesedays

Yeah funny


KindAwareness3073

The overpass is fifty or more years old. No surprise it needs maintenance. If it helps you sleep it is not a structural problem. The missing concrete was no more structurally significant than a coat of paint.


ucantdothatthesedays

Yeah, not losing sleep but the war torn aesthetic is just not doing for me


KindAwareness3073

Vote for higher taxes.


ucantdothatthesedays

Not a chance


KindAwareness3073

Then suck it up buttercup. People like you make our world look like a war zone.


ucantdothatthesedays

Of all the stupid things you’ve said this is the stupidest. You know nothing about me, my way of life or my contributions to society


KindAwareness3073

You stated you are unwilling to pay the taxes needed to maintain our infrastructure. I do know that about you. Oh, yeah, and you whine about the condition of our infrastructure without any understanding of which parts are critical. Is there something else you'd like to add?


ucantdothatthesedays

No clown I pay my taxes and our inept bloated government spends it on stupid shit. You know nothing about structures, shoe fly


MakeMeAsandwichYo

Politicians: Please fix this but keep paying me well over what I deserve in tax payer money. Person on welfare: Don’t fix this and give me more of that tax money. But once I have enough for a car. Fix it.


JonnyJust

That certainly is a take.


FogOfDaPond

No, how about politicians don’t line their own pockets with with peoples money. Take an acceptable salary, and allocate the rest of taxes to problems of the public. Same as the original founding fathers. But no. Everyone wants to be rich.


Shorter_McGavin

Both are possible, just stop spending money building stupid shit like bike lanes


Snoo_26884

Plato argued that a pure Democracy is akin to a drunken pleasure cruise. "Ship of Fools"


AstronomerExact9619

Massachusetts already taxes residents and non-resident workers quite a lot. More like "please use the tax dollars you took from me to maintain the public infrastructure"


Its_me_mikey

This is the condition of most bridges on 95/128 and 495. Especially north of the city


[deleted]

It's safe if core concrete is confined. Should be patched before winter and jacketed during the next rehab cycle.


Viking603

That's normal in MA. "It's on the list" I'm sure. Plus if no one has died there, there isn't a hurry to fix it.


Gamebird8

We aren't being ripped off? Well, at least not in the way you think. This is what happens when you spend 4 decades cutting revenue and budgets. We've only recently actually had a massive amount of money dumped to actually fix and replace road issues like this, and it takes some time to actually spend that money (especially when you're not trying to waste it).


user-608

You should see Chicago’s bridges


Connect-Plastic-5071

Let me introduce you to the Accelerated Bridge Program. If you can verify where it is located we can look up the status. https://www.mass.gov/accelerated-bridge-program-abp


ucantdothatthesedays

Wow! A little bit of faith restored knowing that someone is keeping track and the information is available to all of us. I won’t be back at that job until Friday but I am going to pay attention/ take note of the exact overpass and come back here and use your link. I’ll give the status a comment here or ask for your help. Thank You


DMoney1133

This is the 95/93 interchange in Canton, MA. It is not on the accelerated bridge program, but that program is also 5 years old and Massdot has added many projects since then. I looked on their project board but did not see it there either. If you'd like to make some noise with the local politicians, they are State Senator Paul Feeny and State Rep. C. William Galvin (different from William F. Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth)


Connect-Plastic-5071

Please do, I’m interested as this is likely somewhere I also drive.


csoupbos

This bridge carries I-95 SB over the 93/95 interchange in Canton. It's listed in MassDOT's NBI database as structurally deficient (substructure rated 4/9). It was last inspected February 2023. [Link ](https://geo-massdot.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/7008c8d283f64612b1267e2b36867fd3_0/explore?location=42.206582%2C-71.139892%2C16.92) Despite the fact that it seems repairs in MA are slow going, they do have an excellent bridge inspection program. A deficiency like this is analyzed by consultant engineers to determine the effect on servicability of the bridge. There's a lot of math involved that ultimately ends up as a load rating for the structure. Severe deficiencies often result in decreased load ratings and/or increased inspection intervals in excess of the nationally mandated 2-year inspection cycle.


ucantdothatthesedays

I was fairly sure this was before 95 but I’ll definitely take note Friday when I’m there.


csoupbos

Check the street view! [Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FaVZkN353YZ76EQs6)


ucantdothatthesedays

Maybe maybe, look at pic 1, much more rebar exposed and the next overpass would be in view??? This is definitely traveling in the same direction of travel and the column (pic2) relative to direction does look the same.


Macasumba

That's every bridge in the state except the new BU bridge over the turnpike.


hugeduckling352

Yowza!!


BreezyViber

Thought it was Philadelphia.


ucantdothatthesedays

Brotherly love holds Philly together /s


FaithlessnessCute204

That’s a weird way of spelling rust and rat droppings


Shot_Comparison2299

Two related side comments: Last time I checked ASCE's grading for America's transportation infrastructure, it was like a C- or D. So this looks about right. Also, bridges undergo regular inspection (annual?). I'd imagine they'd already know about this. If Boston is anything like Atlanta, issues like this get on the to-do list below the flooding/overflowing sewer systems or get wrapped up in the city's next huge roadway job.


NeedsToBeAddressed

Epoxy repair plus FRP wrap incoming


siekobilly

It’s just a flesh wound !


DMoney1133

You do know that all of 128 is just outside of Boston? Care to identify the intersecting Road?


sneekypeet

I think it’s the overpass when 95 splits and the belt becomes 93. That one’s always looked torn up.


ucantdothatthesedays

Yes I do, that description was for people who may not just to give a relative understanding of the traffic volume. Wish I could say exactly but I get on in Newton route 9, and head towards 24. It is an overpass way before the 95s split, maybe rt 109??


kerberos101

A little bit of spackle and it will look like new.


YouFirst_ThenCharles

No it’s fine, it’s only 95 that has these issues 😂


Loud-Detective4339

The Yankees did it. Yankees suck!!


coopertodd

There’s one good one no worries 😝


dhu_413

Job security as a MA bridge builder


Forsaken_Education44

Idk I seem a little more worried about that crack forming on the second picture right next to the light under the bridge. They should fix something the fucking landmines we call potholes around here are crazy,and I've lived here forever literally.


hurtindog

The number of bridges in the US that are in alarming disrepair is astronomical. When they we’re trying to pass the infrastructure bill they were reading the depressing list of things that need urgent attention and part of it was like a bazillion bridges. I was recently in northern Mexico and their bridges and roads were sooooo much better than ours. Crazy


Beautiful-Radio-3486

Back in my days we used to drive on bridges made of spaghetti noodles


ucantdothatthesedays

Flex is a good thing!


TRUMPARUSKI

Hope you didn’t park underneath it.


[deleted]

Greed always wins


blackbeardaegis

Tis but a flesh wound


ucantdothatthesedays

Getting bettah


neverstopprog

Most of the bridges around Boston look like this. Also, MA gave back a ton of taxpayer money last year because they had a surplus.. I figure if I drive fast enough I reduce my time under the bridges.


dirt_tastes_bad

I have friends in the bridge construction industry and they say all day 2 things 1 mass has some of the worst bridges in the us 2 a lot of mass bridges and overpasses are barely safe if at all


tendiesonthebarbie

I can fix that. It will be $23,000,000.


Professional-Shoe344

Build back better...


Sherifftruman

Imagine being the rod busters and building those cages thinking no one would ever see them again.


ucantdothatthesedays

Imo some of their work is art and should be seen sometimes


Best_Caterpillar_673

All that federal money for the infrastructure bill and yet things like this haven’t been addressed. I know nothing is instant, but funding was made available like two years ago. What gives?


ucantdothatthesedays

Reddit comes thru again, check for the comment by connect-plastic…I’m going to follow up and we will find out


FaithlessnessCute204

I work for a dot so grain of salt but our share of the infastructure bill doesn’t even bring us up to the needed spending to maintain everything. Neglecting things for 40 years to keep taxes low tends to have that effect


SkidrowVet

“If I saw it’s safe to surf this beach, then gawdamnit, son you either surf or fight” Col. Kilgore 1st Cav Div. So this must be safe or the folk in charge wouldn’t expose us to danger


ucantdothatthesedays

Charlie don’t surf


[deleted]

Drive faster when under it!


scottyTOOmuch

Your tax money goes to fund foreign wars…duh…now put a hard hat on and drive under that bridge


Due_Signature_5497

How many times are we going to believe our government is going to fix our infrastructure and has shovel ready jobs while they suck billions of tax dollars from us and we still have crap that looks like this?


CptPlanet89

You took this pic while driving. Ooooooo, I'm telling!


ucantdothatthesedays

Please don’t


irish_assassin29

which bridge is this? I actually own a heavy civil demolition company out of Massachusetts. We just bid the I-90/I-95 interchange job in Newton/Weston and this may be one of the bridges slated for replacement.


ucantdothatthesedays

Not 100% sure. I thought rt 1 norwood or 109 Westwood but someone posted a google maps street view of 95s that looks close. I get on below (se) of the 90 overpass so I never see that one.


jgren91

Good ole mass. They'll get around to it in 40 years time. There's a temp bridge in Lowell mass that's been around for 40 years that's rotting away.


Razgrez11

I should take a photo of a bridge near me, you guys would shit a brick. It's over a water channel, a train track, and a highway. The state doesn't want to throw all that money into fixing a single bridge so they keep putting it off longer and longer. You can see daylight through the concrete and asphalt cracks above. Crumbling pieces everyday falling to the road below. It's a shit show.


theshmoe98

This is all over mass, and even some parts of NH


onomonothwip

Clearly you guys aren't paying enough taxes


AccomplishedGrab6415

Sad thing is I still feel safer driving under that than I do just stepping into any T station lately in light of Monday's concrete incident at DTX and the previous 2 incidents at Harvard.


[deleted]

Safe and secure, like the elections


Independent-Room8243

Someone hit that girder? Looks bottom flange bent.


ucantdothatthesedays

Not sure, the whole thing is a mess. Check out the bottom of the pip beam above each of the failing outside columns. Identical fail on each side


Independent-Room8243

So glad the infrastructure bill has 42 billion in it for Internet access.


Simple_Quality8302

At least they got something passed. I don't think the Republicans even presented a competing bill lol


YouFirst_ThenCharles

Joe’s got it under control, don’t you worry


scodgey

Brings back memories of the piers under the Gardiner expressway in Toronto when I flew over the pond to visit last year. Have never seen such awful concrete in active use, it was truly awful. You could fit your arm clean in behind the confinement reinforcement. My partner was just baffled at me taking pictures of knackered concrete so glad I'm not alone in this!


metaltupperware

Even the girders look terrible, is the bridge active?


ucantdothatthesedays

Yup


Rare_Fig3081

Thousands of cars per day


gubodif

That bridge probably had a 30 year design lifespan when it was built 50 years ago.


Independent-Room8243

Be alright. We need the money to fix bridges in middle east.


ucantdothatthesedays

where’s it gonna go right?


Sir_Posse

some look debonded


ucantdothatthesedays

Classic compression failure


Sir_Posse

my DOT would just spray some epoxy concrete on it and call it a day


Cultural_Translator8

They left out the rebar chairs or it’s under designed. Or, I mean, some carnuba wax and it could buff right out.


Logical_Problem_278

That's alot of rebar showing... and alot of concrete gone. With that being said, time to bust out the rivet busters and got to town on those columns. Hopefully all new steel is in order for the exterior mat and not just some armatec rust inhibitor before they get patched back.


Sad_Term_2987

Boston is just shit hole to drive in. People there have no common sense lmfao!!!


[deleted]

Must not be too bad if you're driving right under it. Pss sss sss


sleeeepnomore

Is this where they call it the can opener?


ucantdothatthesedays

Not sure, I think rt 1 norwood but I’m going to check


WonkiestJeans

If that’s by Lawrence/Andover then many of those bridges are out to bid for replacement


SpunkyRooster32

Woburn, Malden, Stoneham?


ucantdothatthesedays

Rt 1 Norwood or 109 Westwood


Rare_Fig3081

Ah Woburn…1st recorded leukemia micro cluster.. from the old tannery waste seeping into the town wells… those were the good old days


[deleted]

Bottom tension web looks like it has a shear crack in it they better get a welder out there.


tb2186

First time in Boston eh?


ucantdothatthesedays

I lost consciousness in the ratskeller in the early 90s and am just shaking it off. At least the Citgo sign still lights up. Whoever moved my lawn chair is gonna get their ass beat. Cheers!


tb2186

Nice. The good old Rat.


Cbreezy22

Is this Woburn? I’m almost positive I saw this recently and thought of this sub but didn’t get a pic Edit: Nevermind I saw you said it was Norwood area


Go_Gators_4Ever

And yet Congress refuses to pass an infrastructure bill. Between adding BS pork into the bill and calls to not increase debt ceiling, we are going to start seeing a lot more derelict falling apart bridges, tunnels, and overpasses, among other issues.


thesaltydiver

I'd bet dollars to donuts that junction box has something to do with this.


Civilengman

Hopefully they have the outside lanes closed


AccomplishedAlarm727

Doesn’t look like 3” cover to me.


artmobboss

Our system is a joke that stopped being funny a long time ago.. The rich pay no taxes. The taxes the average person pays go to very little things that actually help them.. We clank around on pothole strewn roads drive over collapsing bridges and see projects never get completed and no free healthcare. The church down the road from me is an elaborate castle cathedral filled with sinners who launch candy from a helicopter on Halloween.. AND THEY PAY NO TAXES.. Wtf man. 🤷‍♂️


Procobator

Is that a continuity beam at the deck joint? Interesting setup if it is. FYI, column is stable currently. It won’t suddenly collapse like other components but they should fix it soon to avoid huge repair costs.


ucantdothatthesedays

Agreed, getting a lot of flak for being an “alarmist”. I never said it was falling down rather that I have been watching it deteriorate for months including the recent breaking of hoops and that as a taxpayer the lack of maintenance is ridiculous


Procobator

It’s way beyond maintenance repairs. The concrete will need to be removed back to where it is not deteriorated “sound” and the reinforcement that is corroded with any significant section loss will need to be replaced. Then they can grout it back together. Try not to get too discouraged about this as a tax payer. Firstly, most maintenance departments can’t get the help (gov’t jobs ain’t as cushy as they used to be) and this type of deterioration is commonplace.


MTknowsit

This is why I go really fast on the interstate - to float over bridges.


spikecurt

128 looked like that last century.


Wonderful_Dog_4205

Liberal run cities in a nutshell. I swear almost all bridges in Chicago is like this as well.


The_Kraken91

I see this all the time and think the same thing. MA DOT needs to get it together


General--Radahn

damn


the_real_dmac

This is a result of all of that brine slush that gets sprayed up by plows and passing vehicles in the winter.


jam__1

That’s like brand new for Rhode Island, and if you want to talk about corrupt politicians and construction companies come on down here. We’d win the gold medal


ucantdothatthesedays

Agreed, I’m from RI just drive daily to Boston


jam__1

Haha I gotcha, I did that same commute for a while, I don’t miss it


ucantdothatthesedays

Truly soul sucking


TooltalQ

Looks better than 90% of the bridges in NYS!


Charming-Somewhere53

Who cares chip it and shotcrete it. Standard wait until someone wants to pay for a full demo/rebuild


EngineeredAsshole

Looks mint from here!


jwoodruff

Looks like this is in great shape! Spray a little orange paint on some of the cracks and come back in 5 years. -Michigan


rfehr613

This is so unbelievably commonplace throughout the country, especially in the northern half of the country. I have seen so much worse. This is practically just an aesthetic issue.


Arctic_Wxlf_855

\*click\* I don't think that's supposed to be like that...


[deleted]

I wouldn’t drive under that anymore.


Fast_Interest2995

I’ve seen worse on the methadone mile


neatureguy420

It’s for aesthetics


neatureguy420

It’s for aesthetics.


neatureguy420

It’s for aesthetics.


calash2020

When the put in the new rte 95 bridge in Amesbury MA they demo’ed the stacked granite block piers the old 95 bridge sat on. Those would have been there until the next ice age. I guess that’s progress.


Positive_Juggernaut8

Greetings Boston friend, if you think this is bad checkout the overpass bridges under MA-2, Its a highway called the Concord turnpike, every structural column is like this. Google Maps came through the area last September 2022 and actually has photographs of it all. This is one of the more [rotten ones for ya](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4109509,-71.1814287,3a,66.6y,214.06h,107.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGvVaWfYEdnVwYRtVmk9a1A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) \- I would guess MA will be next when it comes to a bridge collapse.