Spanish Wells bridge collapses

As of Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Video

Spanish Wells Bridge collapse

This video and these photos show the scene in Spanish Wells today after the bridge to Russell Island collapsed. It is believed a truck and a golf cart were crossing it at the time, but there are no reports of any injuries.

sheeprunner12 3 years, 11 months ago

Why is the other bridge that Bannister awarded to a local fella to build (last year) not completed as yet????????

jt 3 years, 11 months ago

The new bridge, I am told, is waiting in Florida in sections. The work was supposed to have been started already but COVID-19 derailed those plans.

ThisIsOurs 3 years, 11 months ago

the woman speaking in the video said in a very serious voice "the Spanish wells bridge has finally collapsed". lol

Kiley 3 years, 11 months ago

Look at the water supplied to the island by water and sewage

Clamshell 3 years, 11 months ago

What? You don’t like the flavor of rust-colored water?

proudloudandfnm 3 years, 11 months ago

Almost as bad as the water being supplied to the eastern end of NP....

Well_mudda_take_sic 3 years, 11 months ago

Why is the very corrupt and grossly incompetent Desmond Bannister still minister of works?

And now Bannister is gleefully claiming he's all smiles from ear to ear at the prospect of his ministry being allocated $500 million for capital works in the next budget. Have Minnis and Turnquest gone totally insane? The $500 million would all too quickly be spent with at least half of it being frittered away by mismanagement, waste, fraud and corruption.

Incidentally, the truck in The Trib's photo may have been carrying a load that greatly exceeded the bridge's capacity load factor. Doubt the loaded truck had to be weighed or otherwise estimated before crossing the bridge and equally doubt the load capacity for the bridge was ever posted at both ends of the bridge. Thankfully no loss of life for Bannister to wear around his neck.

bogart 3 years, 11 months ago

Everyone upset at the hardship island is experiencing because of the collasped bridge. Investigation mandatory if the heavy duty truck was overloaded and weight exceeded bridge load factor and golf cart contributing separate or together. Bridges carry cetain limited loads and exceeding load unnecessary stress causing failure. Old structures have fatigued parts, weakened joints etc. Danger can be avoided or reduced if instead of being overloaded maki g several trips to reduce load, heavy weights can be carried by pontoon avoiding bridge. Many instances there are persons who cause damage to govt public property and themselves common speeding vehicles knocking down light poles, traffic lights, using metal tracked vehicles on asphalt roads tearing it up. All these incidents should be fully investigated and persons held liable if guilty and not stick costs to taxpayers. Thank goodness the driver to truck and golfcart did not perish in this incident.

Clamshell 3 years, 11 months ago

Agreed. But the idea that any truck driver on Eleuthera/HI/SW/RI would pay the least attention to a load limit for a highway or a bridge is sadly deluded. The stuff you see on those roads and bridges over there ... dunno whether to laugh or cry.

Well_mudda_take_sic 3 years, 11 months ago

Fully agree with you @bogart.

Over the past decade we have spent a fortune on CCTV monitoring systems for Nassau that have not been properly maintained or intelligently used. All instances of major damage to public property captured by these systems should be reported to the appropriate authorities so the culprit(s) concerned can be tracked down and held fully accountable. CCTV systems should be strategically placed to record the more common instances of costly damage to public property, e.g. road traffic signals banged-up by large trucks.

The Tribune