The California Desert Collapse

An interstate bridge in the California desert collapsed recently as heavy rains scoured away the land the depleted bridge was anchored to.The bridge for years has been a major throughway between the cities of Los Angeles and Phoenix as many cars use the bridge to get to there destination.Which caused the collapse was ,water hurrying through an ordinarily dry desert chasm disintegrating the area around the bridge, bringing about one side of the eastward interstate to fall and causing the closure of the westward side.California Department of Transportation spokesperson Vanessa Williams said, “bridge should have been fine if the flood came straight down the gully, this time it swept through at an angle that pushed the water to one bank, digging
away the soil at the gully's edge where the bridge reconnected with the road bed”,it's said the flow of water made a huge difference, normally it flows straight into the gully but this time as the rains fell about 1.5 inch an hour the impact of the water hitting at an angle the stress to the structure just completely let it give way. Even though the bridge passed inspection it was labeled as "functionally obsolete," as put by Wiseman a California transportation engineer, he said reflected not its strength or durability but the fact that its 1967 construction style requires motorists to slow as they approach. This storm has caused many traffic headaches , as normally dry desert basin was turn into a theatre set of flooding.With the bridge collapse motorist were stuck on the road for hours ,some having to resort sleeping in their cars because all the local motels were occupied.It is said it could take several weeks before everything is back to normal an the bridge is functioning properly again.This road's rupture only means longer-term inconveniences for those who live in the region