The Highway Collapsed

I was up early this morning and could not figure out what the heck happened even though this was on every local channel. Unless there is an earthquake, how do highways collapse?

A stretch of vital highway for San Francisco Bay-area commuters collapsed on Sunday after a gas tanker truck crashed and ignited flames that shot more than 200 feet (60 metres) high, officials said.

Flames on a lower ramp melted the upper deck of a highway on the Oakland/Emeryville side leading to the double-decker Bay Bridge that connects the heavily populated East Bay to San Francisco. As the steel structure weakened, a concrete slab fell onto the ramp below.

The driver of the truck, which an official said may have been speeding, was hospitalized with burns and was reported to be in stable condition. Officials said the scant traffic in the middle of the night prevented further injuries and accidents.

They are working on commuter contingency plans for the next few months, telling drivers to avoid the web of highways known as the "Oakland Maze."

"Undoubtedly, today's incident will cause severe difficulties for Bay Area commuters," Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "The state will take every action possible to minimize the impact on commuters and repair the overpass as quickly as possible."