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21 Mar 2010, 14:51 (Ref:2657197)
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#1 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,621
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Tunnel collapse at Spa-Francorchamps
Just had a phonecall from a friend telling me that the Blanchimont tunnel partially collapsed around midday. There was track activity, but at that moment no cars were running. The track itself is still there, it seems most of the graveltrap, armco, marshal's hut, tv camera and more went down.
Problem is that nobody knows if any cars, bikes or pedestrians were in or near the tunnel during the collapse. At this very moment an emergency plan has been set up, to start digging for possible victims. This from the RTL website: "Vers 11h45, une partie du tunnel de Blanchimont, situé sous le circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, s’est effondrée. Il s’agit d’une voie d’accès souterraine de six mètres de haut, permettant aux poids lourds d’atteindre les paddocks. L’effondrement s’est produit Ã* hauteur du poste 20, explique Christine Calmeau pour RTL-TVi. Les pompiers sont sur place afin de s’assurer que personne ne soit coincé sous les gravats. D’après les premières informations, il semble que personne ne se trouvait Ã* cet endroit au moment des faits. Cependant, aucun bilan n’a pour l’instant été communiqué." |
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__________________
The older I get, the better I used to be ! 
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21 Mar 2010, 15:38 (Ref:2657210)
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#2 | ||
 Race OfficialVeteran
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 11,142
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Let's hope no one was underneath at the time.
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21 Mar 2010, 16:35 (Ref:2657240)
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Racer
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 260
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As if Spa needed more troubles. Let's hope everyone is safe.
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21 Mar 2010, 16:40 (Ref:2657242)
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#4 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,621
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According to a marshal, who was on his way home (albeit a tat early) for luchbreak, nobody was inside the tunnel. So that is good news.
Although some marshals already said it was a shame he wasn't 20m further when it happened.  The first joke appeared already: some say it was a terror attack by the Sourdine Group. Probable cause at the moment: a landslide because of the huge amount of snow and rain they had over the winter. The track will be inspected tomorrow by a surveyor. With just over a month before the first race, everything should be okay. |
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__________________
The older I get, the better I used to be !
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21 Mar 2010, 16:59 (Ref:2657252)
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#5 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 256
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Tunnel collapses at Spa-Francorchamps
The 'Tunnel de Blanchimont' that provides access to the paddock of Spa-Francorchamps has collapsed this afternoon.
There are no casualties. It is not known what the effect is on the race calendar. http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/...ingestort.aspx |
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21 Mar 2010, 17:32 (Ref:2657276)
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#6 | ||
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14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 42,589
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That isn't the one I got stuck in!
Glad no one is hurt. |
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__________________
Seriously not taking motorsport too seriously.
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21 Mar 2010, 17:39 (Ref:2657281)
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#7 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,174
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Any pictures?
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21 Mar 2010, 18:10 (Ref:2657308)
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#8 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 256
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Video:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcn...t-spa-fra_news It seems the asphalt of the race track has been damaged as well. |
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21 Mar 2010, 21:13 (Ref:2657445)
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#9 | ||
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Race Official Veteran
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 11,142
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Is this the main entrance/exit tunnel near to the medical centre? From the video it doesn't look big enough and I don't remember it having a curved roof or is that all that's left of it?
It looks pretty terminal as the concrete sections also look like they've fractured. |
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21 Mar 2010, 21:41 (Ref:2657459)
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#10 | ||
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,408
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As far as I know there is only one tunnel providing access to the paddock at Spa, so this must be it. Not good.
There is access to the paddock by a road from the far side. The transporters take that because they couldn't get through the tunnel, which is indeed narrow and not very high.. |
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21 Mar 2010, 21:53 (Ref:2657467)
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#11 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,069
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No Strider, this is the bigger truck tunnel built a few years ago now at the bottom of the circuit.
We are testing there Euro F3 Open Thursday/Friday this week - at least we are supposed to be... |
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21 Mar 2010, 21:54 (Ref:2657468)
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#12 | ||
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14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 42,589
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I thought there was two, although I've only ever been through one.
(can't access the video at the mo) There is one by the entrance on the circuit near Eaur Rouge and one on the other side (the one I've not been through) on Blanchimont side that you get to via the old circuit road. |
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__________________
Seriously not taking motorsport too seriously.
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22 Mar 2010, 05:56 (Ref:2657616)
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#13 | ||
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The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,300
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As there have been no further reports I hope nobody was hurt in this.
The main entrance tunnel is at Stavelot, near the medical centre. There is a tunnel just after the exit of Blanchiment which allows vehicles to drive from the paddock to the outside of the circuit. Could we have a case of failed geography here? Those kerbs don't look like Stavelot to me. Last edited by Peter Mallett; 22 Mar 2010 at 06:20. |
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__________________
I've decided to stop reaching out to people. I'm just going to contact them instead.
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22 Mar 2010, 07:35 (Ref:2657643)
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#14 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,469
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Jebus, that's some serious stuff. Could have been much worse. Just glad that it wasn't busy.
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__________________
Me, the 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a women's prison? At three o'clock in the morning? With my reputation? Oh well, penal correctitude it is then.
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22 Mar 2010, 08:45 (Ref:2657675)
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#15 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 12,853
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That is the Stavelot Tunnel Peter,its the one thats used also by the Units inside of the circuit.
I got a call yesterday from a friend over there,told me "It must have been my fault for driving out of there too quickly last Saturday" [I gave him a lift home] When I explained that that was just over a week ago he came back with" Typical of Belgium,being slow to react!".  Mind you,they did start on it yesterday,if that had been over here,no-one would have turned up till this morning,trying to decide what they were going to do about it! |
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__________________
Living the dream,Chief instruktor and racing on the worlds best circuits-The Nordschleife and Spa.Getting to drive the worlds best cars-someone has to do it, so glad its me.
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22 Mar 2010, 09:22 (Ref:2657687)
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#16 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,938
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Sounds like a job for Mr Gillett.
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__________________
My Auntie has been ill or so long we now call her, "I can't believe she's not better".
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22 Mar 2010, 09:44 (Ref:2657694)
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#17 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,362
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Quote:
 But actually it looks more like he must have been there already with his team of professional and trusted civil engineers. Jim |
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__________________
Life is not safe, just choose where you want to take the risks.
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22 Mar 2010, 09:45 (Ref:2657697)
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#18 | |||
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The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,300
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Quote:
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__________________
I've decided to stop reaching out to people. I'm just going to contact them instead.
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22 Mar 2010, 11:06 (Ref:2657738)
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#19 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,834
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Aw, shucks. I was planning to celebrate my birthday at the LMS there, early May... Would any Civil Engineers here please confirm if this is fixable that quickly???
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__________________
Tim Yorath Ecurie Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Fan of "the sacred monster Christophe Bouchut"...
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22 Mar 2010, 12:26 (Ref:2657779)
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#20 | |
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,456
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Looks like the same tunnel workers like at Cologne subway been involved and stole some iron there too
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22 Mar 2010, 13:27 (Ref:2657809)
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#21 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 137
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GT Open & Euro F3 tests planned for Thursday & Friday have been cancelled.
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22 Mar 2010, 13:55 (Ref:2657824)
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#22 | ||
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Race Official Veteran
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 11,142
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From the video and the reports I assume the collapse is at the tunnel behind the new medical centre marked as No. 1 on the picture and not the main access road marked at No. 2.
Can someone confirm as the one in the video doesn't look big enough to be the main entrance. |
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22 Mar 2010, 14:25 (Ref:2657840)
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#23 | |||
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,408
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Quote:
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22 Mar 2010, 19:43 (Ref:2658052)
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#24 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,621
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It IS the big tunnel at the back (Stavelot) that caved in, not the one in the paddock. And no one was hurt in the incident.
It looks small Tim, as it IS a narrow tunnel, high but narrow. I've hated that tunnel ever since it was constructed. There is no safety structure whatsoever, only those strange metal panels that hold everything together. Anyhow, as there is far too much gossip going on at the moment, there is no news yet as what is going to happen. And I will refrain of giving wrong information (as I already did in the first post with armco and other stuff gone down the hole). It doesn't look to good at the moment because of the cracks and possible further collapse. Don't forget that this tunnel was built in 1978 and has been widened twice, with added weight on top. At the moment everything has been cancelled for this week and probably longer. |
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__________________
The older I get, the better I used to be !
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22 Mar 2010, 19:54 (Ref:2658067)
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#25 | |
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Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,978
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can you keep us posted just in case any big races are forced to change?
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