What do you guys think? I think it's dumb, interesting, but dumb. http://bigthink.com/robert-montenegro/new-construction-in-uruguay-has-us-rethinking-bridge-architecture?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook
Oh.
Circular in the horizontal.
I was expecting some spectacular new bridge from Calatrava, some big rolling wheel festooned with sails and cables.
The Uruguayan thing is 'meh'.
Sorry . . .
IF it were over a navigable channel and IF it were built so that each half could pivot out of the way to enable vessels to pass thru without interrupting traffic, it would be the tourist attraction they're seeking.
Quote from: davewiecking on January 29, 2016, 08:32:33 PM
IF it were over a navigable channel and IF it were built so that each half could pivot out of the way to enable vessels to pass thru without interrupting traffic, it would be the tourist attraction they're seeking.
And if the circle was about half a mile across ...
Otherwise what you are suggesting would cause the vessel to take at least a half an hour to transit it, needing to come to a complete stop in the center of the circle.
Quote from: davewiecking on January 29, 2016, 08:32:33 PM
IF it were over a navigable channel and IF it were built so that each half could pivot out of the way to enable vessels to pass thru without interrupting traffic, it would be the tourist attraction they're seeking.
Which I understand is essentially the function of Montreal's Pont Victoria.
I wasn't planning on PANAMAX sized vessels....
You can tell an architect came up with this because it's so impractical and needlessly expensive to build, but it allows people to say pompous bullshit like "[it] encourages our minds to rethink perceptions of what a bridge can be".
This would be much more interesting if it were a solution to an actual problem, such as something in the middle of the circle that for whatever reason a bridge could not be built across, or this making the structure more resistant to ice floes which are a huge problem in the waterway it crosses.
But it isn't, it's just some idiot wasting people's tax dollars on their art project.
Needs something awesome inside the ring.
Space Needle or similar . . .
The bridge is a tourist attraction. We're talking about it, aren't we? If you took a trip to Uruguay, you know you'd wanna go see it.
If their goal was simply to build a bridge, then they failed. But that wasn't their only goal here.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fassets2.bigthink.com%2Fsystem%2Fidea_thumbnails%2F60430%2Fprimary%2FBridge.jpg%3F1454093729&hash=0339e65bd9274520dbb65d9a4c131bb49a64cc40)
Seems cool to me.
I checked out the context for the bridge. It's not on a major corridor. It connects a town with a sparse, coastal neighborhood. At least until the next inlet is bridged and the road provides a direct connection to the next town on the coast.
If anyone actually uses that center walkway, they'll probably throw things into the water. *plook* Assuming that they remember to bring something to throw.
I'm reminded of the bridge(s) to St George Island in Florida (https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6933884,-84.8618324,8966m/data=!3m1!1e3). The first crossing was actually two bridges with a man-made island between. The island became a nesting place and deathtrap for birds, so the replacement bridge bypassed the island altogether.
Oh: I'm mentioning this because another article I saw mentioned slowing down traffic to protect birds as one rationale for the project. Perhaps introducing two surprise T-junctions to kill drunk drivers at relatively little risk to unimpaired motorists is another, though I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.
Quote from: Duke87 on January 30, 2016, 11:55:39 AM
You can tell an architect came up with this because it's so impractical and needlessly expensive to build, but it allows people to say pompous bullshit like "[it] encourages our minds to rethink perceptions of what a bridge can be".
This would be much more interesting if it were a solution to an actual problem, such as something in the middle of the circle that for whatever reason a bridge could not be built across, or this making the structure more resistant to ice floes which are a huge problem in the waterway it crosses.
But it isn't, it's just some idiot wasting people's tax dollars on their art project.
Yeah, it's probably interesting from the perspective of the views that you get driving across it but not so good in terms of efficiently moving traffic.
I've seen this bridge article pop up in a few places. Apparently, the idea is it's supposed to slow traffic down, and entice people into observing to the natural splendour of the area
What bugs me most about it is the single lane, with no turnouts or parking stalls. Looks to me that if there's a collision or stall in the loop, traffic will likely be unable to get around the blockage
But I suppose if the road is intended to be a scenic bypass only, and there's other routes into this development, and there's more to see than mud and water, it's a nifty idea. It just reminds me a little too much of Calgary's $470,000 streetlight "artwork"
(picture: http://img.src.ca/2013/10/09/635x357/131009_iy7ph_rci-big-o_sn635.jpg)
If they want people to observe natural splendor, I'd rather they built a vista stop with short-term parking than encouraging drivers to take their eyes off the road.
Make it into a traffic circle
Quote from: SteveG1988 on February 03, 2016, 02:19:37 AM
Make it into a traffic circle
I'm surprised it wasn't a roundabout to begin with. If the environment is so breathtaking, you should be able to take endless trips around, and around, and around...
Quote from: jakeroot on February 03, 2016, 03:32:56 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on February 03, 2016, 02:19:37 AM
Make it into a traffic circle
I'm surprised it wasn't a roundabout to begin with. If the environment is so breathtaking, you should be able to take endless trips around, and around, and around...
Hey Kids...big ben
Quote from: SteveG1988 on February 03, 2016, 07:56:20 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on February 03, 2016, 03:32:56 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on February 03, 2016, 02:19:37 AM
Make it into a traffic circle
I'm surprised it wasn't a roundabout to begin with. If the environment is so breathtaking, you should be able to take endless trips around, and around, and around...
Hey Kids...big ben
...Parliament
Quote from: empirestate on January 30, 2016, 08:45:40 AM
Quote from: davewiecking on January 29, 2016, 08:32:33 PM
IF it were over a navigable channel and IF it were built so that each half could pivot out of the way to enable vessels to pass thru without interrupting traffic, it would be the tourist attraction they're seeking.
Which I understand is essentially the function of Montreal's Pont Victoria.
Pont Victoria works because there's a lock in the middle.