Thaindian News

By Ranjan Bhaduri
California, Apr 26, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Recently 60 minutes did coverage on the latest Bay Bridge in California and the report revealed how the US government is actually racing against time to set up the new bridge before California is struck by another quake. The experts are of the opinion that the existing bay bridge is not capable of surviving another earthquake and in case it happens, the bridge will collapse. The residents of the Bay region depend on the Bay Bridge since it connects San Francisco to Oakland. Way back in 1989, the Bay Bridge was seriously damaged by Loma Prieta earthquake. Even at that time the engineers warned that the bridge needed earthquake proof measures.

Now the successor to the existing bridge is being made but some people are worried whether the new bridge can be built within time. The bay Bridge is closely linked with the economy of California. On an average 250,000 vehicles use the bridge every day. It is among the busiest bridges that exist in the world. An agency named caltran is looking after the task of making the bridge quake proof. The incidents of the 1989 quake are still vivid in the memory of the residents of the region. The series of quakes that hit Haiti and Chile earlier this year have made them worried.

The bay region will suffer more from a quake compared to other areas and its roads and transport system may be jeopardized in such an event. Therefore building the new bridge fast is a priority for the engineers. It is being estimated that the work of the new bridge will be completed by 2013.