Bridge Collapse on M50??

atgate · 23-08-2008 5:31pm #1

Just read on another forum that a pedestrian bridge has partially collapsed on the M50 (somewhere near the Bray end). Anyone know any more / if it's true?

Stark · 23-08-2008 5:36pm

Was just on TV3 news. From the looks of it, a lorry passed underneath that was too high. There doesn't look like major damage to the bridge.

gibo_ie · 23-08-2008 5:37pm

atgate wrote: »

Just read on another forum that a pedestrian bridge has partially collapsed on the M50 (somewhere near the Bray end). Anyone know any more / if it's true?

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhqleygbidoj/

breakingnews.ie wrote:

23/08/2008 - 15:19:08
The AA has reported that one of the southbound lanes of Dublin's M50 is blocked following the collapse of the New Veil pedestrian bridge.

It is the first bridge after the Loughlinstown Roundabout.

Major delays are expected.

Meanwhile, a two-car collision at the Water Tower at Clarinbridge on the N18 outside Oranmore, Co Galway is blocking traffic in both directions.

The AA said gardaí are at the scene and traffic is being diverted, however major delays are expected.

snubbleste · 23-08-2008 5:38pm

Check the news! breakingnews.ie 23/08/2008 - 15:19:08

Darn, gibo_ie got there before my post

Orobhsa · 23-08-2008 5:40pm

Nothing on AA Roadwatch.

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie

L1011 · 23-08-2008 6:27pm

Seems to be the day of ****e driving on the M50, there was an 06 S-class (I think, not a Merc man) wedged one side on the barrier, other sides wheels on the inside lane just at the N3 off-ramp going south about an hour ago!

Chris_533976 · 23-08-2008 8:55pm

gibo_ie wrote: »

Clarinbridge accident

Someone came across the narrow bit too quickly and couldnt make the bend, having a head on collision with someone else, I'll bet.

That road is a shambles and the sooner the rest of the N18 gets done the better.

Stark · 24-08-2008 11:33am

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhqleyqlkfkf/rss2/

A lorry, travelling south, collided with a footbridge, known locally as the 'Newvale footbridge'.

Alun · 24-08-2008 11:49am

I'm confused .. what part of the foot bridge did it actually collide with? Surely it can't have hit the actual deck of the bridge can it? If it had it would have left a trail of destruction behind it all along the motorway, and what could have been so high that it could have done so anyway? I've never seen (or more accurately noticed) any height restrictions on any of the bridges along that route, so surely then they're all above some kind of max height that would normally be allowed to travel on the roads at all without being considered an 'exceptional load' or whatever they're called.

smash · 24-08-2008 1:36pm

So yesterday while on my way home a section of a bridge on the M11 southbound just before the Bray North exit ad fallen off, it had just happened, my wife was driving and i took my small cam out of the glovebox and got a snap...

Now it wasn't a good snap and the rain was bad so I dropped the wife home, turned around to see if I could get another one. Got back to the scene just as the cops arrived so I pulled over to get a shot and also went on top of the bride to check out the damage

Apparantly a truck hit the bridge, on the front here

and then tore off the section at the back

Now after all that, I came straight home - sent an email off the all the papers, told them where it happened, showed them pics - Got no reply but every paper has got the details wrong yesterday evening and today, some saying it was on the M50 - others saying it was a new foot bridge...

Morons :rolleyes:

Caoimhín · 24-08-2008 1:42pm

The real moron is the trucker who hit it.

That could have killed someone so the driver should be charged wilt dangerous driving.

mike65 · 24-08-2008 1:48pm

There is a dishonourable tradition of thicko truck drivers scraping tunels and bridges.

Mike.

24-08-2008 1:48pm

I remember being told that there are several hundred overheight truck hits every year on bridges/tunnels in Ireland. I'd say it would be worth putting up CCTV on all the bridges in the country given the cost and extent of overheight hits here.

Cheers for the pics though, was curious as to the extent of the damage.

smash · 24-08-2008 1:49pm

well they still haven't found the trucker who hit it and they're appealing for witnesses... the speed limit here is 120 - luckily there was nobody behind the truck!

Calina · 24-08-2008 1:56pm

Moving to C&T.

....and merging with thread on same subject.

Excuse any resulting confusion.

Jim · 24-08-2008 1:58pm

Often seen trucks stuck under the railway bridges in town.

Tabnabs · 24-08-2008 2:01pm

/thread disappoints

There was me thinking the west link had been carried away by raging floods or something dramatic. Not really a bridge collapse is it?

Great pics all the same!:cool:

Wishbone Ash · 24-08-2008 4:32pm

caoibhin wrote: »

The real moron is the trucker who hit it.

That could have killed someone so the driver should be charged wilt dangerous driving.

I think it is important to get all the facts before making accusations against the truck driver.

Motorway bridges are supposed to be a standard height which is why they are not plated. Perhaps this bridge was a couple of inches lower. It has happened before on the M7.

From the impact damage it looks as if the arm of a 360 excavator clipped it while being towed on a low-loader. This begs the question as to why no other bridges were damaged along the route (assuming of course, that the driver would have gone under at least a couple of others).

The truck driver may not have been aware of the collision particularly as it may have resulted in contact between his load and the bridge rather that the truck and the bridge.

Just my 2c worth.

BrianD · 24-08-2008 4:55pm

I would have thought that he would have the felt the vibration as the load hit the bridge twice. There must be some CCTV somewhere that can produce suspect vehicles for the damage. Surely this vehicle can be tracked by such footage and there may also be footage from the toll plazas.

It's not unsual for truck drivers to be completely unaware of the height of the load that they are carrying. I wonder will there be a excavator owner claiming for the damage to his machine?

murphaph · 24-08-2008 4:56pm

Fcuk me, those Guards aren't the brightest! That bridge has been struck by an overheight vehicle and a large concrete section has fallen off....so our boys (and girl) in blue stand UNDER the remaining pieces of concrete facade hanging 20' in the air directly above them. They have NO IDEA of the structural integrity of the deck or its facade (fascia?) and should be nowhere near it! I believe they should probably have closed the motorway IMMEDIATELY until the bridge could be inspected.

BrianD · 24-08-2008 5:10pm

Plus there's no evidence of any traffic calming in advance of the incident. That garda car is almost parked at the obstacle with traffic able to pass at speed on either side of the centre lane.

Run_to_da_hills · 24-08-2008 5:12pm

Myth wrote: »

I remember being told that there are several hundred overheight truck hits every year on bridges/tunnels in Ireland. I'd say it would be worth putting up CCTV on all the bridges in the country given the cost and extent of overheight hits here..

Maybe some over height truck can do us all a favour and help remove the new Westlink plaza gantry

smash · 24-08-2008 10:04pm

anyway, whatever hit the bridge was carrying Hay, you can see it all over the road here in a bigger photo

Wishbone Ash · 25-08-2008 12:18am

steve06 wrote: »

anyway, whatever hit the bridge was carrying Hay

That ain't hay Steve - that would be straw!

Run_to_da_hills · 25-08-2008 12:20am

Im surprised that no one had tried to hit it and claim compo.

Bridge Collapse on M50??

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