I crossed over the I-95/US301/US15 bridge at Lake Marion SC again, and finally got around to remembering to ask this.
How common is it to have spare parts for a bridge nearby? (https://straythere.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/p1050550-440x800-440x800.jpg)
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway has spare parts stored along side it in case of structural damage due to boat collisions.
Aerials show some of them toward the North Shore:
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3596222,-90.0940603,256m/data=!3m1!1e3
Isnt that just the old brige supports
LGMS428
Quote from: jwolfer on November 05, 2016, 09:50:03 PM
Isnt that just the old brige supports
LGMS428
No, this was taken from the old bridge that closed in the 80s. Those supports on the left match the I-95 Lake Marion bridge. and not the Multi-pole style US301 bridge.
Those supports existed before the current I-95 bridge was built: http://historicaerials.com/?layer=1957&zoom=17&lat=33.505&lon=-80.455
Quote from: Alex on November 05, 2016, 06:33:28 PM
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway has spare parts stored along side it in case of structural damage due to boat collisions.
Aerials show some of them toward the North Shore:
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3596222,-90.0940603,256m/data=!3m1!1e3
Some are already in use. The original 1956 bridge (now south-bound) was built with 56-foot sections, while the new span (north-bound) opened in 1969 with 84-foot sections. When a portion of the new span was knocked out by a boat in the 1970s, they actually used three of the 56-foot spare sections rather than two 84-foot sections; that way they could install new piers without having to remove and rebuild the damaged ones. You can still see the broken-off sections of the original piers sticking out above the water line when driving across the south-bound span.
Quote from: NE2 on November 06, 2016, 03:01:56 PM
Those supports existed before the current I-95 bridge was built: http://historicaerials.com/?layer=1957&zoom=17&lat=33.505&lon=-80.455
Neat. Probably used a simpler "pier" so they could just demolish it later as needed since it only had to support the weight of itself.
Is there a reason the Causeway has what looks like stubs on the ends? Was it planned to be twice as wide?
Quote from: vdeane on November 07, 2016, 01:06:19 PM
Is there a reason the Causeway has what looks like stubs on the ends? Was it planned to be twice as wide?
The southbound span is wider just after coming onto the bridge from Mandeville from a recent project to add additional toll booths. There were originally three booths on each end of the bridge, but now there are five booths going southbound and none going northbound (the northbound toll collection caused horrendous traffic jams in Metairie, so now all toll collection is southbound only). Additional room for merging was required, so the span was widened for a short distance.
The extra width on the south end of the bridge is from a post-Katrina project where the Causeway lanes were elevated to go over an enhancement to the hurricane protection levee on Lake Pontchartrain. Southbound goes from 2 lanes to 4 as soon as you exit the bridge, and northbound Causeway Boulevard goes from 4 lanes to 3 and then to 2 as you get on to the bridge.
Speaking of causeway spare parts, the turnaround that now houses a cell tower was taken out in several storms, they used parts from the ramps that are no longer required to give it at least some connection to the highway. They are going to be relocating that tower to a turnaround eventually, since it is very vulnerable to storm surges.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 07, 2016, 11:00:57 PM
Speaking of causeway spare parts, the turnaround that now houses a cell tower was taken out in several storms, they used parts from the ramps that are no longer required to give it at least some connection to the highway. They are going to be relocating that tower to a turnaround eventually, since it is very vulnerable to storm surges.
That project is currently underway. The crossover closest to the old turnaround (from when there was only one bridge) has been widened and the new tower is up. Antennas are now being hung and installation of the ground equipment is in progress. The project to demolish the old turnaround is scheduled to be let by LaDOTD early next year.