New manhole cover bolted down where teacher died in freak accident

[unhappycamper]

http://www.wcvb.com/news/new-manhole-cover-bolted-down-where-teacher-died-in-freak-accident/38509892



MassDOT considering bolting down others

New manhole cover bolted down where teacher died in freak accident
Published 4:02 PM EDT Mar 14, 2016

BOSTON —MassDOT workers installed and bolted-down a new manhole cover in the travel lane of the O’Neill Tunnel on Interstate 93 south where a manhole cover went airborne during February, killing a teacher who was on her way to work.

In the wake of the accident, the agency is also considering whether other manhole covers should also be bolted down.

On Feb. 12, a manhole cover flipped into the air and smashed through the front of Caitlin Clavette's car. The 35-year-old Arlington resident was on her way to Grover Elementary School, where she worked as an art teacher.

~snip~

After the tragedy, a temporary manhole cover was installed in that location and MassDOT crews began an inspection of all 1,143 covers in travel lanes on highways and in tunnels. At 69 of those, they welded the covers in place "if the slightest movement was detected."

[RKP5637]

1. Maybe I missed it, but what caused a 200 pound manhole cover to suddenly fly into the air? n/t

[TexasProgresive]

3. "SUV changed lanes before manhole cover flew through windshield, killing teacher"

Caitlin Clavette, 35, killed in crash
snip:5

Investigates has learned that video from highway cameras shows an SUV changing lanes in front of art teacher Caitlin Clavette's car. Not much more can be seen, but they believe that vehicle passed over the manhole cover, dislodging it and sending it through the air and into the windshield of Clavette's Honda.

http://www.wcvb.com/news/woman-killed-by-airborne-manhole-on-i93-police-say/37961154

[TexasProgresive]

2. I read 3 articles on this hoping for an answer.

I am retired from Verizon and have lifted a lot of manhole lids. I can't imagine one flying through a windshield. One thing stands out to me is manhole access on high speed roadways. I can't remember ever seeing on in Texas. We had manhole runs on secondary streets with a speed limit of 30-35 MPH. Runs along primary roads and limited access the manholes ran along the right away and not in the roadway proper.

Since this manhole was in the route to a tunnel I guess there is no choice but to have it in the roadway, but it should be secured by more then gravity. Perhaps a heavy vehicle caught the edge of the cover disloging it slightly and the SUV that changed lanes over it flipped it like a tiddly-wink directly into to Ms. Clavette's windshield.

What do maintenance crews have to do to safely open one of those manholes on such a busy road? I'm glad it's not me. I can remember being on a ladder with my back to the flow of traffic that was scary enough.

[RKP5637]

4. Scary stuff. I've only lifed one a couple of times in my life, and we used a hook on the hole at the

edge and then dragged/slid it off. It was heavy heavy. Your idea here makes a lot of sense to me. "Perhaps a heavy vehicle caught the edge of the cover dislodging it slightly and the SUV that changed lanes over it flipped it like a tiddly-wink directly into to Ms. Clavette's windshield." It sure seems they should be held down. I can't recall where now, but in one city/location they were being stolen for scrap. They solved it there by welding them down. Of course to me, that makes maintenance access nasty if the welds have to be broken.