Cooler Crew Pictures

Thanks CM.... great shots

There was no major infrastructure (i.e. power telecommunications) routed across that bridge because of the type of bridge it was (Steel Arch Deck Truss Bridge). It looks like all power problems that happen were from power lines on the banks of the river. I canÂ’t imagine the chaos down there. The trunk lines across Minnesota were maxed out for 15 minutes and have been struggling to handle call volume since this happen.

• Structure ID: NBI: 9340.

• Location: River Mile 853.20.

• River Elevation: 725 Feet.

• Highway: I-35W.

• Daily Traffic Count: 140,000 (2002).

• Bridge Type: Steel Arch Deck Truss Bridge.

• Length: 1,907 Feet, 458 Foot Longest Span.

• Width: 8 Traffic Lanes, 108 Feet.

• Navigation Channel Width: 390 Feet.

• Height Above Water: 64 Feet.

• Date Built: Opened November 1967.

Claim to fame: was built with a single 458 foot long steel arch to avoid putting any piers in the water to impede river navigation.

This bridge features an anti-ice system. A series of PVC pipes carries a deicer fluid to outlets that are drilled into the deck of the bridge. When the temperature for ice is right, the deicer fluid is pumped onto the bridge deck. This system has proven to be successful enough that it is being installed on other bridges in Minnesota.

This system has proven to be successful enough that it is being installed on other bridges in Minnesota.

This kind of scares the crap out of me.

I know alot of people..even a bunch of the coolers have fears of bridges..omg...I feel sorry for those with those phobias.

google news image version.. link

cm.your photo is one of the better ones of detail i've seen all nite...

first off... Im so glad everyone I know is alright! I had sat down to watch a movie when my phone began ringing....my girlfriend Marie called (about 6:05) to tell me on her way home from my house there were 5 trees down in the road --- then jess called (about 6:15) - I was gonna pick up the phone and say my typical "whats wrong?" but I missed it and thought Id talk with him later....feeling like I should call him back but I wanted to watch this movie (sorry medhunter).... then my sister calls (about 6:20)...so I hesitantly answer and I only did because she was helping me with my resume and I thought she had a question. She says turn on the news the 35W bridge collapsed!!!! OMG!!!!!! I paniced immediately, trying to figure out which bridge and who would I know that would ever cross it! The news wasnt being clear about which bridge on 35 it was. They were showing close ups of the bridge but took a while to finally pan out to see the city around it, so I was thinking at first that it was the bridge going to Shakopee (I know that isnt over the Mississippi- but all the wreckage looked like it was the old metal arch bridge south of Mpls). I went through my mind and cellphone list - kitch, ares and sue went through my mind- than I recieved one more call from a close friend that I was so glad to hear from because they were the one I was worried about most. Whitney wanted me to make sure wicked nick was alright -she knew he was going to the Twins game.... (I see nick has posted so all must be alright), whitney will be glad to know :smile: .....

Ive been literally floored and sadly glued to the tv for the last 4 hours- flipping channels and recording everything I watched -from cnn to fox to wcco to kstp. Its so overwelming. :frown:

hey cm, did you dvr any of it?

I was really hoping you got some channels

I recorded it all like when I recorded 9/11

I think I have 17 tapes on 9/11

going on tape 3 tonight

my god! what an impact on those that were there and all of us who could only watch :frown:

I feel so sad for everyone involved- and my prayers have gone out to the families who lost someone tonight

THANK YOU cm for posting those pictures

#6 -you can see all the helicopters.

I was expecting to see them on the news tonight.

and that the other thing I wanted to see....the pictures of BEFORE it fell. thanks OTiS

True that posen. about 6 years ago, I was driving home from work the night before thanksgiving, Traffic on the freeway was going to be a bear, so I took the back mountain road home.

Lil did I know that it was cold enough to have a patch of black ice which I hit - skidded (had 2 choices - go 60 ft off the cliff into trees or ram into the mtn. I took the mtn) I bounced off a couple of times, and hit it again (thanks to me hitting the gas instead of the break)

My co-worker who lived at the top of the mtn was 2 cars behind me and saw the whole thing (and stopped - helped me get my car to the side of the road at a turn out - re-group etc)

when we got to the side of the road, a few minutes later all these emergency vehicles go flying up the road past us - sirens, lights - you name it.

We went back down the hill to drop my car at a repair shop - then he drove me home.

We learned later that a few minutes up the road - the car that was behind me (who didn't stop) was in a head on with a truck about 6 minutes later. The truck driver had a heart attack and crossed over the lanes of traffic.

Neither car lived.

That could have been me.

wow vino!!!!! just wow!

and I pmed with Posen a bit ago and just WOW for him too! thank God for having a reason to be late!!!

no kidding.

The pastor from my church and his wife had driven over that bridge about an hour and a half before it collapsed.

Thanks for the pictures Clue Master. I know kitch is right, they show some of the best detail I've seen of the damage. The news crews tried to focus in too close.

I kind of wanted to drive down there and see it first had, but didn't want to hamper emergency traffic, and they had already advised people to stay home. Heck, if I had been close enough when it happened though I would have been out there trying to help, again, they say they've got plenty. So pretty much all I can do is sit and watch the news..

Thanks guys. I'll post more in a sec. Damn Posen glad you're here bud. I know there's tons of stories like that out there. My crew's shift starts at 6:00 and 3/4 of them take that bridge to work every night. The bridge collapsed only a few minutes after they crossed it on the way in. Good day to pick to be on time I'd say.

exactly kc - want to go help but feel your too late or dont want to hamper emergency crew... wanting to go take pics and help ... and the focus on the news was rough at times. Sometimes the video was too washed out and too close. Some channels were ok though. But, nothing beats seeing it all through the eyes of clue master.
ps- whitney commented that she didnt want you to lose your camera and tripod out there today. thought that was considerate yet funny.

good night everyone -

off to bed here too, tomorrow's gonna be a long day.

Today has been long and tiring :asleep:

Here's one last one before bed time

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Here's a couple from before the collapse.

I did just see a few of my shots used on WCCO just now! :ooh:

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

wow why did I call in to work today I would have been on the thing about that time in a 10 ton trash truck!!!! someone was looking out for me today!!! I actuly no phone no showed!!! not good I know but hay everyone I know and care about is ok I still feel bad that this happend and eavn worse that some people lost there lives!!!! this is a year to go down in the books for me!!! I am feeling so dead inside right now!!!! all the stuff that is going on this year is just killing me!!! sorry wrong place for this just glad everone is OK!!!! later!!!

sorry wrong place for this

iceman, better to get those feelings expressed than to keep them bottled up inside.

i'm sorry you are having such a rough year.

you know this crew is here for you, right?

wow! beautiful cluemaster

Thanks me2.

My phone's been ringing off the hook today from people who apparently saw my name attached to a few of my pictures on CNN and some local stations! Pretty cool. I just wish that I had a tape of it as I only have a tape of the 'CCO footage. But I did tape more this morning so I'll have to wait and see. Unfortunately none from CNN.

Here's a few more close-ups from today. It was kinda cool to see some of my downtown counterparts up on their buildings today too. Man do they look smaller than I thought.

From: bkennedynowpublic

Subject: Your photo s of the Minnesota bridge collapse

  Hi Clue Master,

Here's a personal note from Brian A Kennedy:

___________________________________________________________

Greetings -- we're doing a story about the Minnesota bridge collapse and would love to use your photo in our image gallery. To approve or deny the request, just click on the link below. You'll receive full credit next to your photo, of course.

____________________________________________________________

Brian A Kennedy is a contributor at Nowpublic.com and would like to use your photo for a story that has just been published.

NowPublic is a news sharing community that uses stories, photos, & videos from sources like you.

If you would like to learn more about this request, and the context in which your photo might be used, please click on this link - where you can approve or reject its use:

www.nowpublic.com/import/46b1ccf495f324.65609476

If you do give your permission, your photo will always remain your property, and the Creative Commons license you have specified will follow its use on NowPublic.com

If you have any concerns about this, please contact our Quality Assurance Coordinator at quality@nowpublic.com

From: chrisdeba2004

Subject: 225 S. 6th

  hello-this morning I found your photos from the 225 S. 6th building. They are absolutely incredible and the clarity is fantastic.

I have a website www.minneapolisdailyphoto.blogspot.com and I'd like to discuss obtaining permission to shoot photos from that location for the daily photo site.

Please let me know if this is a possibility.

Thank you!

Regards,

Chris





:smile: :eyeroll:

your gonna be famous CM!

SoyJames says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Structural Collapse, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.

:smile:

CM, I've had MSNBC on all morning and when they start showing submitted pictures I start taping. Did you send them any? Otherwise I'll switch to CNN and see what I can do.

Of course, if I catch anything I'll have to have my tape back. It has my Elvis/Celine duet on it. :pbpt:

I haven't heard anything about MSNBC yet. I'll send them a few for the hell of it. Elvis rocks! Celene - not so much. But my mom said that 'duet' was pretty cool as I haven't seen it yet.

Sorry for tooting my horn earlier but today has been pretty cool as far as that stuff goes.

http://wcco.com/slideshows/local_slideshow_213194533/view?slide=73

http://kare.4wmt.com/packages/templates/anonymous/album/browse.aspx?pageid=d59ca9e2-f268-4970-a1e1-556cee3b9bf3

Sorry for tooting my horn earlier but today has been pretty cool as far as that stuff goes.

I sure understand, CM. You took some awesome photos, in a situation surrounded by devastation. Takes a cool head and a steady hand. And your photos are helping all of us comprehend this tragedy, visually, as well as conveying to the world, and possibly to the investigation, exactly what things looked like, at those moments in time.

Kudos to you!!

Thanks Eags :sheepish:

Nice personal Joe there

Cool that you noticed that JOE - I didn't.

very nice work brad :smile: i have saved them all as well for personal use :smile:

want to come do lunch sometime :wink:

rr

Pick a Thursday. That's my lunch days.

Im soooo excited that someone out there is interested in your talent. I was thinking that those shots BEFORE it went down may be helpful to the investigation. something to look into. Maybe they can see something in the structure from your photos. Im very proud of you. good luck.

Thanks J :sheepish:

CM - The NTSB is asking the public for copies of photos to help in their investigation. I heard that on channel 5's news at 10pm.

They might be looking for the closer shots.

Here's one that's not so close.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A stupid question, I know, but the whole thing's down, right, not half?

Took me 1 hr. 15 mins. to get out of downtown yesterday.

whole thing...

the bridge to the East is the bridge that went behind Grandmas that kinda connected it to the university...was common for students to walk over that way...

I've walked the other bridge drunk many times...

Haha Kitch... I walk over that bridge quite a bit (never drunk, though). Did you go to the U?

st. paul campus...

was a member of Delta Theta Sigma
http://deltathetasigma.org/

go??? now that I"m not exactly sure of...

haha

yup, thats the team I was talking about doing the investigation Terry- thanks for posting their name-

Aren't you talking about the other bridge closer to the campus Kitch? The one that is a double decker? I hardly ever see anyone walking on the 10th ave. bridge.

Thrivant is right across the street from me. This was my desktop before the bridge collapse.

that's pretty cool CM. wow. you and here are neighbors. I should hook the two of you up for lunch partners sometime. She is wickedly funny.

I think ya'll met her - she was the (short haired) blonde lady who came down to Matty B's with me one night - kinda over weight. She just went in for the bypass surgery this week and was at home. Otherwise there was a chance she too would have been on the bridge.

no...its cedar ave. bridge...

if you go north on it...brings you to University Ave...kinda a good way to walk.

only about 6 or 7 blocks to dinkytown that way...

If i recall there was a fast food joint over there...so it was a nice detour vs. going washington ave.

Cedar and 10th are the same but I get you anyway.

There used to be a Hardee's on University between 10th/Cedar and 35W, but it closed down. I think that's what you're thinking of Kitch.

thats it...only reason we walked that way :smile: