Friday, March 02, 2012

Mind Boggling Incompetence

Here in the Portland Metropolitan area, there has been a serious problem with traffic going between Oregon and Washington over the Columbia river for decades.
There are three bridges currently available to do this.
One was built in the seventies, I remember them building that one, they built an entire freeway with it.

The other two date to the thirties and fifties respectively.


The first of these two old draw bridges was built in the thirties and then they built the twin in the fifties.
There is a serious bottle neck they built after crossing over into Oregon where it goes from six lanes down to two.

Morons were involved, I am positive.

Now, they have been planning a 3 BILLION dollar fix, including a new, giant fucking bridge.
They have spent 140 Million dollars and many years planning it and have gone so far as to pass legislation so they can charge a toll on this as of yet non existent Bridge and freeway upgrade.

What do I wake up and see on the front page of today's paper?

The Coast Guard says it isn't high enough to let tall masted ships clearance to get under.

Let that sink in for a moment.

One business on the river alone told them they needed 125 feet of clearance and the current plan sits at 95 feet.

Morons were involved here too, I am positive.

When I got done reading the article, I was so fucking pissed off I Whipped off a letter to the editor, with out cursing mind you,calling for heads to roll and the local prosecutor to sue for redress.
By their estimates, it would take another hundred and fifty million to raise it up where it needs to be.
As we all know, on a 3 Billion dollar project, there are going to be cost over runs
and I would not be a damned bit surprised after they break ground and start construction to see it double.
This is what pisses me off the most, on a three billion dollar project to build a Mega Bridge across the biggest river West of the Mississippi, someone didn't take the time to think that there might actually be ships going up and down that river.

The incompetence is mind boggling.

Highly educated stupid fucking idiots.

Like I said, there are morons involved, I am positive.

6 comments:

  1. backscuttler5:41 PM

    Conservative RePugs will surface and declare the only economical was to cross the river is with a fleet of ferrys charging $10 each way with the fees devoted to stamping out abortion.

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  2. When I lived in Memphis, it seemed on bridge after the other was built to cross over the Mississippi River. It seems they finally got it right. I believe there are/were four bridges, but not one in the last few years.

    I do believe Stupid and Moron were involved in your bridge building!

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  3. Busted, ya can't fix morans.

    ;-)

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  4. Just when then build it, the price of gas will be too high for anyone to drive over it.

    The only economical way to move things will be by boat -that can't fit under the bridge.

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  5. Anonymous5:24 PM

    i don't guess a drawbridge would be practical . . .

    mrs. jp

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  6. Well let me one up you on this Busted. Washington state in it's infinite wisdom need to replace a certain floating bridge. But to pay for it they slapped a toll on the old bridge. People aren't stupid and are just driving around the lake. A little out of the way but much cheaper. The toll charges vary by time of day and since everything is done by computer everything is screwed up. And now since nearly nobody is using that route they'll need to increase the toll.

    $10 ferry? You wish. It hasn't been that cheap here in 10 years.

    Is it time for another post on Stupid Ideas?

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