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Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered at https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=33904.0
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Author Topic: Old vs new bridges  (Read 31512 times)

tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #75 on: July 25, 2021, 05:12:08 PM »

But it looks awkward.

well we don't want that
I mean like, how were they thinking when they were thinking about extending the highway...
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dlsterner

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #76 on: July 25, 2021, 07:02:10 PM »

These bridges do not match.
If the poster is concerned about the above bridges not matching (they look almost identical to me), image the hysteria resulting from our mis-matched Bay Bridges across the Chesapeake:



And I would guess a third bridge (if ever built in our lifetimes) would be visually different as well.

tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #77 on: July 25, 2021, 07:17:48 PM »

These bridges do not match.
If the poster is concerned about the above bridges not matching (they look almost identical to me), image the hysteria resulting from our mis-matched Bay Bridges across the Chesapeake:



And I would guess a third bridge (if ever built in our lifetimes) would be visually different as well.
Compared to these, or even these?

Hell, even these do not match.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #78 on: July 27, 2021, 11:10:24 PM »

When looking at these bridges, you may wonder why they are very high (I've seen some ones that are a little lower to carry trains), And the reason is cause of the low voltage lines and a nearby river next to a road.

Like hell, even these are lower.
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Mapmikey

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #79 on: July 28, 2021, 06:25:01 AM »

When looking at these bridges, you may wonder why they are very high (I've seen some ones that are a little lower to carry trains), And the reason is cause of the low voltage lines and a nearby river next to a road.

Like hell, even these are lower.

The first bridge is that high because it crosses the Intracoastal Waterway.  Otherwise it would need to be a draw bridge.

The second bridge can be lower because trains are not as tall as sailboats.
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kphoger

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #80 on: July 28, 2021, 09:59:34 AM »


When looking at these bridges, you may wonder why they are very high (I've seen some ones that are a little lower to carry trains), And the reason is cause of the low voltage lines and a nearby river next to a road.

Like hell, even these are lower.

The first bridge is that high because it crosses the Intracoastal Waterway.  Otherwise it would need to be a draw bridge.

The second bridge can be lower because trains are not as tall as sailboats.

If it were all about the power lines, then I'm sure it would have been a lot cheaper to just run them underground at that point or else construct taller towers and run them over both roads.
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MCRoads

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #81 on: September 14, 2021, 09:36:57 AM »

These bridges do not match.
If the poster is concerned about the above bridges not matching (they look almost identical to me), image the hysteria resulting from our mis-matched Bay Bridges across the Chesapeake:



And I would guess a third bridge (if ever built in our lifetimes) would be visually different as well.

If a third bridge is built, what do you want to bet that it will be a precast box beam, with a cable stayed main span?
I hate those types of bridges, as they are used so much. But, they are used a lot because they are cheap.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #82 on: September 22, 2021, 07:55:04 PM »

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4447724,-80.6133352,3a,75y,262.09h,102.8t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqjkbqC6Ck5ABhMUyw8_qgg!2e0!5s20210801T000000!7i16384!8i8192
Another one of a recycled bridge. When I85 was rebuilt in 2016, they took everything but the guardrail. :ded:
Are you referring to this guardrail? If yes, then it's because it's dangerously close to the mainline highway.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #83 on: October 11, 2021, 03:41:29 PM »

So, when bringing a freeway to interstate standards, this plan shows that the bridges that the main freeway bridge over will be replaced. They look fine to me... I don't see why they need to be replaced.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/us-17-feasibility-study/Documents/us-17-segment-6.pdf

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Mapmikey

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #84 on: October 11, 2021, 08:11:55 PM »

So, when bringing a freeway to interstate standards, this plan shows that the bridges that the main freeway bridge over will be replaced. They look fine to me... I don't see why they need to be replaced.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/us-17-feasibility-study/Documents/us-17-segment-6.pdf



All of the southbound bridges were built in 1976, so they will be pushing 50 years old when they get around to doing construction.

The northbound bridges were built in 1999.  Less sure why they would want to replace those at the outset unless they don't meet interstate standard in some way.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #85 on: October 12, 2021, 12:09:57 AM »

So, when bringing a freeway to interstate standards, this plan shows that the bridges that the main freeway bridge over will be replaced. They look fine to me... I don't see why they need to be replaced.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/us-17-feasibility-study/Documents/us-17-segment-6.pdf


The northbound bridges were built in 1999.  Less sure why they would want to replace those at the outset unless they don't meet interstate standard in some way.
Which is funny cause the US-264 bridges east of Wilson are older and it's already up to interstate standards and yet they didn't replace the bridges. I'm referring to the the Farmville bypass (US-258) and the VOA Site C rd bridges.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #86 on: October 12, 2021, 09:53:26 PM »

Seems like MSE walls are the new standard bridges for construction.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #87 on: October 24, 2021, 02:21:38 AM »

I didn't know they still build bridges like this.

I thought they stopped with this design...

I normally see double rails as the standard.

The Greenville Southwest Bypass (NC 11 bypass) bridges (which is kind of rare for freeways to have here in North Carolina except for older ones built back in the 60s and 70s) has the double railings over NC 903 and Abbott Farm Road.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #88 on: November 01, 2021, 07:10:48 AM »

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Mapmikey

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #89 on: November 01, 2021, 10:28:04 AM »

This bridge did not keep the same design. I also wonder why they made it extra wide compared to some bridges I see are narrower than that.

2008 - GSV https://www.google.com/maps/@36.078266,-77.7484517,3a,75y,9.6h,83.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sF6zeCY5HRurrVBU3SjfcsQ!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

2016 - GSV https://www.google.com/maps/@36.078279,-77.7484316,3a,75y,9.6h,83.31t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sjXJ_YZNGarVa9gAO1a8SoQ!2e0!5s20160701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

The ornate rail designs tend to be propagated on modern bridges only in cities for aesthetic purposes. 

They gave the new bridge shoulders...not sure why that is considered extra wide.  It is US 301 and does see the occasional tractor trailer, so having a shoulder makes some sense.
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Big John

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #90 on: November 01, 2021, 09:42:17 PM »

^^ The shoulders are a safety measure and for a 2-lane 2-way traffic it is recommended to be 10' wide each.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #91 on: January 01, 2022, 02:28:36 PM »

Going to miss driving over this bridge when it gets replaced in a few months (the bridge will still be open during construction of the new one). It's fun going over it!

Before this bridge was built, traffic used to be on a dirt road where they had to stop and look for a train.
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Mapmikey

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #92 on: January 01, 2022, 09:46:55 PM »

Going to miss driving over this bridge when it gets replaced in a few months (the bridge will still be open during construction of the new one). It's fun going over it!

Before this bridge was built, traffic used to be on a dirt road where they had to stop and look for a train.

The road prior to this 1938 bridge (then-US 264) was paved by 1926.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #93 on: January 01, 2022, 09:53:58 PM »

Going to miss driving over this bridge when it gets replaced in a few months (the bridge will still be open during construction of the new one). It's fun going over it!

Before this bridge was built, traffic used to be on a dirt road where they had to stop and look for a train.

The road prior to this 1938 bridge (then-US 264) was paved by 1926.
So, it makes me wonder if they used railroad gates or just stop and look crossing during that time...
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Dirt Roads

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #94 on: January 02, 2022, 10:11:05 PM »

Going to miss driving over this bridge when it gets replaced in a few months (the bridge will still be open during construction of the new one). It's fun going over it!

Before this bridge was built, traffic used to be on a dirt road where they had to stop and look for a train.

The road prior to this 1938 bridge (then-US 264) was paved by 1926.

You can still see the old route on the aerial view.  Plus a piece of it is still in use to the northwest of this overpass (ironically, the old road is called Overpass Lane).

So, it makes me wonder if they used railroad gates or just stop and look crossing during that time...

Prior to the 1960s, most crossings in the South only needed crossbucks (R15-1 = stop/look/listen rule) except when the crossing was too close to a railyard or industrial spur.  Railroad operating rules require that the crossing be flagged by the crew in those situations.  Quite frankly, those train crews were plenty sufficient to flag the crossing (often comprised of five or more railroaders riding the train).  I suspect that the reason for a grade separation was that there had been a busy agricultural siding in Grimesland where trains frequently blocked US-264.  There's still a switch with a short section of siding track heading back towards this bridge, closer into town.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #95 on: January 03, 2022, 01:48:19 AM »

Another one for US-17 in Chocowinity can be seen here.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #96 on: January 21, 2022, 07:55:59 PM »

Going to miss driving over this bridge when it gets replaced in a few months (the bridge will still be open during construction of the new one). It's fun going over it!

Before this bridge was built, traffic used to be on a dirt road where they had to stop and look for a train.

The road prior to this 1938 bridge (then-US 264) was paved by 1926.

You can still see the old route on the aerial view.  Plus a piece of it is still in use to the northwest of this overpass (ironically, the old road is called Overpass Lane).

So, it makes me wonder if they used railroad gates or just stop and look crossing during that time...

Prior to the 1960s, most crossings in the South only needed crossbucks (R15-1 = stop/look/listen rule) except when the crossing was too close to a railyard or industrial spur.  Railroad operating rules require that the crossing be flagged by the crew in those situations.  Quite frankly, those train crews were plenty sufficient to flag the crossing (often comprised of five or more railroaders riding the train).  I suspect that the reason for a grade separation was that there had been a busy agricultural siding in Grimesland where trains frequently blocked US-264.  There's still a switch with a short section of siding track heading back towards this bridge, closer into town.
Also, when looking at it again, wasn't Grimes Farm Road the original alignment? They left it there for neighborhood access. It has public at-grade crossings.
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Mapmikey

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #97 on: January 21, 2022, 08:26:13 PM »

Also, when looking at it again, wasn't Grimes Farm Road the original alignment? They left it there for neighborhood access. It has public at-grade crossings.

Yes...1936 Pitt County map shows US 264 using it, while 1938 Pitt County map shows US 264 on new alignment.
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #98 on: February 09, 2022, 03:48:05 PM »

SW bypass has the Dec 2021 imagery, now this is the unique bridges for highways that I'm talking about.

https://goo.gl/maps/Hd5ZaKNX9bqddDre6
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tolbs17

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Re: Old vs new bridges
« Reply #99 on: February 23, 2022, 01:16:21 AM »

Is this a temporary bridge? It was replaced because the old old probably was damaged or it collapsed or it was in really bad condition. But this is a really ugly bridge I have to say.

https://goo.gl/maps/613KABSpWSwWCgn69
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