On August 31, 2005, a 1,490-foot section of a railroad bridge running parallel to the Santa Catalina Freeway collapsed. Fortunately, the Bloxburg Valley Department of Transportation had shut down the freeway a week before the accident happened when a maintenance crew noticed some cracks in the structural pillars. Nobody was hurt or killed.
Background
The Bloxson Canyon Rail bridge was a two-track steel arch bridge that ran parallel to the Santa Catalina Freeway’s northbound lane. It was constructed in 1922, to carry Bloxburg, Bloxorado and Bloxissouri Railroad’s Main Line. The Santa Catalina Freeway was constructed in 1944 and was constructed along the road.
Cracks spotted
A week before the collapse a maintenance crew, part of regular inspections and checks on all infrastructure had noticed a long fracture around the rail bridge. That night, the freeway was closed, and workers were lowered down from a helicopter to inspect the bridge rather than stand on it.
Collapse
On August 31, 2005, at 3:29 PM, the steel arch railroad bridge, was seen shaking and swaying. Three minutes later, it collapsed. Part of the freeway was damaged, but overall, was still standing.