You wonder how this doesn't happen more often

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/02/06/royal-park-bridge-closed-traffic-after-bicyclists-deadly-fall/6685145001/

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

40 minutes ago, \GoBillsInDallas/ said:

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/02/06/royal-park-bridge-closed-traffic-after-bicyclists-deadly-fall/6685145001/

 

Bridge tender on site according to the news account.  I would think there would be full camera coverage of the walkways and road surfaces.  Quite a few lift bridges on the Welland Canal have been converted to remote operation, and I have wondered if monitor glitches could occur, or a 'joyrider' could evade being seen by the remote operator.

[ExiledInIllinois]

3 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Bridge tender on site according to the news account.  I would think there would be full camera coverage of the walkways and road surfaces.  Quite a few lift bridges on the Welland Canal have been converted to remote operation, and I have wondered if monitor glitches could occur, or a 'joyrider' could evade being seen by the remote operator.

Operators here on the Chicago and Calumet still  have "blockers." We keep people working (in-house) up North. 

 

"The Florida Department of Transportation maintains the bridge, but the bridge tenders are staffed by a private state contractor."

 

You get what you pay for... 😏 Why we will always have two operators or more at the locks on shift.  Even when a boat sinks, can react... 😏... They ran the Mel Price Lock north of St.Louis from Washington DC way back in 2003.  Nothing ever came of it. 

 

Paging: @BringBackFergy

😊 

[ExiledInIllinois]

"...The woman was walking her bicycle toward West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon and was within 10 feet of the barrier arms that halt traffic when the drawbridge started to move, police told news outlets. ..."

 

The alarms and bells go off before the bridge rises.  Well before. Why didn't she high tail it back to barrier.  Only 10 feet.  It's a single divided span that lifts... Pressing or freezing ain't gonna make matters better!

 

Sad... They should have 2 people working.   One to make a visual inspection. 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Probably some billionaire moving their yacht from one side of the bridge to the other. 

[Nextmanup]

I live in Palm Beach and go over these types of bridges including the one in the story all the time, if not every day on my way to the beach.

 

They go up at the top and bottom of the hour, so I try to time my trips around that.

 

Now and again you get stuck at an opening anyway, which is a pain in the ass b/c it's a huge traffic jam generator.

 

There are traffic lights on the bridge.  They turn red for a while, then arms go down, then nothing happens for quite a while, then the bridge starts to go up, moving very slowly.  

 

I have no idea how someone could fall off the bridge like that, unless they are just a total space cadet, totally not paying attention, under the effect of prescription medication or alchohol, or something like that.  

 

You'd have to work hard to fall off the bridge in this manner.