THE BRIDGE HAS FALLEN

The new Saskatchewan bridge has fallen.

There was something completely wrong here when a newly constructed bridge collapsed a few hours after it just opened.  The construction tendering system is completely perverse. They low-ball anything to the point that quality suffers in the name of the price. And who cares about safety and quality when the best friend of the mayor or the councilor or the favored contractor gets the project.

And of course, rural politicians are not the best judge of construction work, more so competent and professional enough to decide on the award. The local politics get in the way of competent service to the community.

Well, the human race has built the tallest buildings in the world, the largest submarines, and the biggest and baddest airplane without a major construction defect.  A small rural functioning bridge is not impossible to have.

Incompetency has to be stamped out. The reason why there are bad contracts and bad work in a public agency is that management failed to act based on integrity, due diligence, and utmost professionalism in these cases. And this patronage system festers for years until something major like this happens.

Firing somebody is palliative. An overhaul of the bidding system is required.

​Voters, are you there?