Massive Earthquake Jolts Bay Area
The tragedy of the double-decked Nimitz Freeway collapse in the Bay Area earthquake should serve as a warning to the highway planner sin Southern California. That mile-long stretch of the Nimitz became a death trap with no escape when the upper level fell on the lower roadway. Could this sort of nightmare happen in Los Angeles if the plans to double-deck some of our freeways are completed?
For what magnitude was the Nimitz Freeway certified to? And did the quake exceed that magnitude? And can we trust the contractors to use the proper construction techniques and materials when they build our double-decked freeways?
I hope that the deaths of those on the Nimitz Freeway cause us all to take a long hard look at the safety of multilevel freeways during earthquakes.
BRUCE NOLTE
Pasadena
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