Collapse aftermath: Inspector says Cuomo Bridge 'built to last forever and sustain impact'

A former bridge inspector tells News 12 that the 140,000 drivers who cross the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge every day should not feel trepidation due to the technological systems put in place to prevent a collapse from happening.

Emily Young

Mar 26, 2024, 10:06 PM

Updated 41 days ago

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The bridge collapse in Maryland is sparking fear from drivers in the area who traverse local bridges.
A former bridge inspector tells News 12 that the 140,000 drivers who cross the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge every day should not feel trepidation due to the technological systems put in place to prevent those incidents from happening.
"That bridge is built to last forever and to sustain impact," said John Adely, who inspected bridges for the NYS Thruway Authority for more than 25 years.
Adely says the Gov. Cuomo Bridge doesn't have the same risk of collision, simply because there aren't barges of that massive size floating along the Hudson River.
"These days, that accident should not happen on any of these bridges because there are sensors, there are cameras..." explains Adely.
The Thruway Authority says all that equipment is on the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge. There is 24/7 security, and they use cameras with advanced technology to monitor the navigation channel under the bridge.
If there are any issues with the waterway, they inform the United States Coast Guard.
Adely says the Francis Scott Key Bridge didn't stand a chance.
"The cargo hit the main supporting structure directly. If something happens to this column, this column is the main support and the bridge will collapse, he says.
"I was honestly scared out my mind," said a commuter named Krish. "I mean we drive on bridges everyday. I was shook because I cant even swim."
But unfortunately, scared or not, there's no getting around it sometimes.
"We have to travel, we don't have a choice, we work," said Krish.


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