- Fiery Truck Collision Closes Heavily Damaged Brent Spence Bridge
- LA Metro's Phillip Washington Leads Biden Transition Review Of Transport Agencies
- Government Audit Casts Doubt On SANRAL's Ability To Remain Solvent
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Fiery Truck Collision Closes Heavily Damaged Brent Spence Bridge
The Courier-Journal reports, “The Brent Spence Bridge — a vital but badly outdated and overburdened transportation conduit connecting Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati — will be closed indefinitely after a crash [yesterday] morning started a fire so intense inspectors couldn’t assess the damage. . . . The Ohio River closure is already causing chaos along a major transportation corridor connecting Cincinnati with Louisville and Lexington.” According to police, a truck hauling potassium hydroxide crashed into another, jackknifed truck on the upper (southbound) deck at 2:45 AM. The resulting fire lasted two hours and reached temperatures hot enough to melt some types of steel. At midday, wreckage was still too hot to permit inspection by any means except drones.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports on the damage assessment process, local traffic conditions and authorities’ subsequent closure of the iconic Roebling Suspension Bridge after overweight trucks began using it as a detour around the Spence bridge.
In 2018, The New York Times made the bridge the centerpiece of a report on the nation’s failure to act on transportation infrastructure renewal.
TRN has reported for several years (most recently, last month) that the failure of federal and state officials to advance a Spence Bridge rehabilitation or replacement project is largely due to disagreements over toll financing.
Brent Spence Bridge (Cincinnati OH-Northern KY) Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) Kentucky Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Ohio Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)LA Metro's Phillip Washington Leads Biden Transition Review Of Transport Agencies
President-elect Biden (scroll down to “Department of Transportation”) named the members of the transportation agencies review team that will assist him during his transition to office. The team leader is Phillip Washington, LA Metro’s chief executive. Among others serving on the 18-member team are Therese McMillan, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission CEO; Polly Trottenberg, New York City DOT chief; and Jeff Marootian, director of DC’s Department of Transportation. The team’s scope extends beyond USDOT to include NTSB, Amtrak and the Federal Maritime Commission.
Los Angeles Times reports on Mr. Washington’s appointment, highlights of his LA Metro tenure and speculation about LA Metro officials serving in the new administration.
Appointments-Promotions-Retirements Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation FundingGovernment Audit Casts Doubt On SANRAL's Ability To Remain Solvent
The South African reports, a government audit report is casting doubt on the South African National Roads Agency’s ability to remain afloat over the next 12 months. It states that SANRAL’s “funding strategy for the next 12 months relating to toll operations is dependent on positive developments to resolve the e-toll impasse and the public entity raising funding either from government grants or further borrowings.” The article notes that the government’s prolonged internal debate over continuation of the Gauteng Province e-toll system remains unresolved.
Company and Agency Financial Issues And Reports ETC Systems South Africa South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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