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Iced-Off Commuters

A couple of weather incidents on the new and mightily expensive Port Mann bridge have many commuters and critics fuming. But let’s point those (icy) fingers where they really belong -- at nature -- and ourselves.

By Tony Wanless /

A couple of weather incidents on the new and mightily expensive Port Mann bridge have many commuters and critics fuming. But let’s point those (icy) fingers where they really belong — at nature — and ourselves.

First, great chunks of ice fell off the new, $2.25-billion Port Mann Bridge onto commuters’ cars after a snowstorm. Then, this week, it was slick and icy surfaces that caused some 40 accidents.

Obviously, commuters, critics, the press and all the usual government opponents were somewhat  uh – iced off – when the “world’s widest bridge” wasn’t perfect right off the bat.

But, hey, give the engineers a break, will you (and I’m not saying that just because I went to engineering school briefly).

 
mucThis was one of the largest bridge projects in the world; it was tremendously complicated, and the engineers spent must time and energy anticipating and dealing with suspected problems.

They got it 99-percent right.

But you can’t plan for every condition on earth, and it appears that’s what happened here. They expected icing conditions and spread the usual solution of salt water on the bridge.

It just wasn’t quite enough for the conditions that happened that morning. 


Well … stuff happens. 

And, by the way, how many of those drivers who complained were driving way too fast for the conditions?
 
Did they think that because the bridge was new, the usual rules of driving didn’t count any more?

So, before blaming the government or the engineers, or anyone else, let’s look at our own faults, shall we.