This was a freak accident as someone who works in the maritime industry, I can tell you these things happen. The captain of the vessel informed the relevant authorities to clear the bridge and they did their best the fact that only six men lost their lives when it could have been far worse. You ask why were they fixing pot holes in the late hours? The answer is very simple its because that's when there is minimal traffic on the roads hence, doing the work then causes the least amount disruption. I would highly suggest you do your own reading on the impact that channel being closed is going to have on America's East Coast imports / exports, before you start saying the bridge was targeted purposefully . This piece is well written, I have to give you props there, but sometimes the correct answer is the boring answer.