Chunk of overpass falls, punctures Tacoma water main
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - A Washington state Transportation Department spokeswoman says a section of a concrete pillar has fallen on a Tacoma street during demolition of an old highway overpass, punching a hole in a water line.
A safety buffer was in place and no one was hurt Friday afternoon.
Spokeswoman Claudia Baker said the section of South Tacoma Way would remain closed through Monday morning while demolition plans are reviewed.
A Tacoma Public Utilities spokeswoman said several businesses in the area were without water service Friday afternoon due to the damage to a Tacoma Water main.
The utility cautions people who live and work in the area to report any water that looks dirty - and to avoid drinking it.
A safety buffer was in place and no one was hurt Friday afternoon.
Spokeswoman Claudia Baker said the section of South Tacoma Way would remain closed through Monday morning while demolition plans are reviewed.
A Tacoma Public Utilities spokeswoman said several businesses in the area were without water service Friday afternoon due to the damage to a Tacoma Water main.
The utility cautions people who live and work in the area to report any water that looks dirty - and to avoid drinking it.
Nice reporting, they don't even say where this is other than the city.
Question ... Is this before or after the re-designed hairpin turn on the Sprague Av exit????????????
I hope the woman trying desperately to hang onto her coffee business gets some help for having to endure this. Some businesses, like hers, cannot operate without running water. I hate to think they'd leave her hanging like that.
Hey look, more money sunk into mistakes.
Overpass + Sprague Avenue + Hwy 16 = Bermuda Triangle....relative to DOT...
Good job DOT!!!! Â NOT...
Kiewit Construction?
Sure would be nice if they gave specifics about streets, etc. I have no idea where in Tacoma this is.
 @TheMadTurk It was right between the Java Jive and the foundry on South Tacoma Way.
 @TheMadTurk South Tacoma Way and HWY 16. You were probably day dreaming when they said it.
Bridges across the state are in bad shape. I had a nightmare the other night about a bridge collapse here in our area. Has anyone noticed how bad the Ship Canal Bridge has become. I am surprised people aren't outraged about the State's "secret" study to toll on that I-5 bridge to fund it's replacement within the next 10 years.
So that's where the water main is...
Was this suppose to fall or was it an accident?
 @F4I From what I was told by workers, it was supposed to fall, but not all at once.
 @F4I It was supposed to fall... the other way.
"Chunk of overpass falls while being demolished and punctures Tacoma water main." That should be the title with the missing words being [while being demolished] tells the rest of the story.
@32jim2 Thank you 32jim2...I wonder how that little tidbit could have been missed...the headline makes it sound like a freak accident on an in-use roadway, and I suddenly found myself wondering if people or cars had been at risk; but the pictures seem to clearly indicate that work was being performed at the time of the incident. What passes for journalism these days, eh?
i was watching them take it down when i went by on highway 16 earlier today... Glad no one was hurt...
Chunk?
Good thing it wasn't a 'big ole piece'.
Â
OOps!
No doubt it was an ASSAULT overpass that did the damage...
Days without an overpass collapse: 0
Ah, the same section of roadway that has been redone already once, just so it can be redone again. This is your DOT at work. I'm continually impressed by the lack of ability to get things done right at any point in time. If there were an award of "Most Consecutive Failures", they would win, hands down. Guess I'll take another way home this evening.
"It was not known what caused the underpass to fall."
I'll take a stab at it. It was under demolition.
 @Surveyor1 Actually 2 causes: Demolition AND gravity!  :)
@Surveyor1 Gravity also likely played a role
@barkingmad Better ban gravity now..........
 @barkingmad  @Surveyor1 Obviously the Law of Gravity is unconstitutional, and needs to be overturned by the Supreme Court now.
Um, oops. Glad no one was hurt.