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Regional Boards => Mid-South => Topic started by: MaxConcrete on May 01, 2015, 03:29:30 PM

Title: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on May 01, 2015, 03:29:30 PM
HCTRA (Harris County Toll Road Authority) has included these items in recent agendas (highlights added by me)
http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2015/2015-03-10ag.pdf (http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2015/2015-03-10ag.pdf)
http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2015/2015-04-14ag.pdf (http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2015/2015-04-14ag.pdf)

"Recommendation for approval of a schematic for the Ship Channel Bridge Program to
add capacity to the Sam Houston Tollway East from south of SH-225 to IH-10 East
including replacement of the existing Houston Ship Channel bridge in Precinct 2, and
authorization to proceed with the final design phase."

"Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc., in the amount of $20.4 million for final design
services in support of improvements to the East Sam Houston Tollway between
IH-10 East and SH-225 in connection with the Ship Channel Bridge Program in
Precinct 2 (UPIN 140505R133)."

"Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation in the amount of $6.5 million for
program management and engineering services in support of the final design of
improvements to the East Sam Houston Tollway between IH-10 East and SH-
225 in connection with the Ship Channel Bridge Program in Precinct 2 (UPIN
140505R133)."


This was definitely a surprise to see that the existing bridge, opened in 1982, will be replaced. I have not heard any reports of structural issues. As a concrete box girder, it seems like a design which should be low in maintenance. The span was designed to be the first of two spans, but now it looks like it will be demolished and replaced with a single new span.

I can only speculate on the reason(s) for this.
Perhaps the incremental cost of making the new span wide enough for all lanes was low enough so it made sense to have one bridge.
Perhaps the existing bridge has maintenance issues.
Perhaps they want a longer span. (Taller span is unlikely because of the SH 146 bridge further east limits vessel height.)

This will almost surely be a cable-stayed design. I doubt the main span will be as long as the about-to-begin Corpus Christi bridge (which will be the U.S. record holder for cable stayed design).
 
 
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: codyg1985 on May 03, 2015, 05:52:43 PM
I don't see why a parallel span can't be built and have the two bridges be three lanes in each direction (so that both bridges have adequate shoulders). Or, do something like MdSHA does with the US 50/301 Bay Bridge and build the new bridge with three lanes plus a reversible lane on the new span. Seems like a waste to just replace it, though.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on August 06, 2015, 08:21:15 PM
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the bridge is estimated to cost $962 million.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Tolls-increasing-along-with-construction-6429458.php?t=cd498ce4fe&cmpid=email-premium (http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Tolls-increasing-along-with-construction-6429458.php?t=cd498ce4fe&cmpid=email-premium)

Harris County has been awarding tens of millions in engineering contracts recently, including about $3.5 million last week
http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2015/2015-07-28ag.pdf (http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2015/2015-07-28ag.pdf)

The HCTRA web site says the bridge will have eight lanes with full shoulders on both sides. Construction is expected to begin in 2017. With the Corpus Christi bridge and this bridge under construction at the same time later this decade, Texas will be the the main center of action for major bridge construction in the United States.
https://www.hctra.org/about_construction/sam-houston-tollway-widening-ship-channel-bridge (https://www.hctra.org/about_construction/sam-houston-tollway-widening-ship-channel-bridge)

The main suspense for me is finding out how long and how high the span will be. I'm assuming it will be cable-stayed, but I have not seen any reports to confirm that assumption; it could be concrete box girder like the existing bridge. And if it is cable stayed, will it be long enough to exceed the length of the Corpus bridge and become the longest in the U.S.?
 
 
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Rothman on August 06, 2015, 10:15:03 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on August 06, 2015, 08:21:15 PM
With the Corpus Christi bridge and this bridge under construction at the same time later this decade, Texas will be the the main center of action for major bridge construction in the United States.


Two words for you:  Tappan Zee.  Sorry, Texas, but you're in the dust. :D
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on October 03, 2015, 12:01:11 AM
Some details and a rendering are finally trickling out about the bridge.

(https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11855870_492711274219573_1383346233916434154_n.jpg?oh=acfd967c6e3eb1c4ccef73519ddd49d6&oe=569C843A)

Main span:
Existing: 750 feet
New: 1320 feet

Vertical Clearance:
Existing: 175 feet
New: 175 feet

Lanes
Existing: 4 with no shoulders
New: 8 with full inner and outer shoulders.

This will not be a U.S. longest cable-stayed span. The current U.S. longest is reportedly the John James Audubon Bridge in Louisiana, reported at 1583 feet by Wikipedia (and a vertical clearance of 121 or 130 feet, depending on the info source). The New Corpus Christi (TX) bridge (which will not be tolled), with construction just underway, will have a main span of 1655 feet and a vertical clearance of 205 feet.

I like the design - I can't think of any other cable-stayed bridges with similar piers.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2017. The existing bridge, opened in 1982, will be removed after a life of around 38 years.

Some more info from a public notice
QuoteThe existing fixed highway bridge is a concrete box girder design with a main span of 750 feet.
The proposed northbound and southbound bridges will be separate structures, and each will have
a fixed cable-stayed main span of 1,320 feet. The piers of the new bridge will be constructed on
land and there will be no obstructions in the waterway. The new southbound bridge will be
constructed first, within the existing 200-foot right-of-way (ROW), adjacent to the existing
bridge to the west. The new bridge will be temporarily fitted to handle two-way traffic so that
the existing bridge can be demolished. After the removal of the existing bridge, a second new
northbound bridge will be constructed to handle all northbound traffic. Removal of the old
bridge will be down to a depth deemed appropriate by the District Commander and the United
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: TXtoNJ on October 05, 2015, 11:57:17 AM
Max, do you know who was responsible for the engineering of the current bridge? Was it DHPT Houston Division, or the TTA?
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on October 05, 2015, 08:40:52 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on October 05, 2015, 11:57:17 AM
Max, do you know who was responsible for the engineering of the current bridge? Was it DHPT Houston Division, or the TTA?

I'm nearly certain it was the TTA, which would have contracted out the design to a consulting firm. But I looked through my readily available book research notes, and I could not find confirmation of TTA doing the design. I have a small booklet published by the TTA or TxDOT which details the history of the TTA. I'm thinking that booklet would likely confirm TTA's role in the design, but it turns out that booklet is in my remote storage unit.
 
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: FreewayDan on October 27, 2015, 10:48:14 AM
Beginning on January 11th, 2016, the ship channel bridge segment of the Sam Houston Tollway will be EZ TAG only.  The toll plaza north of the bridge will be torn down the weekend before it becomes EZ TAG only.  HCTRA is temporary doing full-service EZ TAG sales at the toll bridge's plaza.

http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/news/a-busy-houston-toll-road-is-about-to-stop-taking-cash/
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/pasadena/news/prepare-for-ez-tag-only-on-ship-channel-bridge/article_afa9eb98-eaed-5380-ba46-65ddd2747021.html
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on May 14, 2016, 02:43:29 PM
In this month's update of the project listings for the next four fiscal years, this project is listed at $823 million.

The right-of-way cost is especially high at $138 million. Since there is little or no property to acquire, I think nearly all that cost is the demolition and removal of the existing bridge.

I was told at a recent HGAC meeting that this project is expected to begin in spring 2017.

(https://1968d90e831cd27d2017897e0c81e9a12852eb10.googledrive.com/host/0B4gwdXQk1LyieHZHSTBqd0VJSnc/aaroads/bw8-project-details.png)

Larger view of graphic
https://1968d90e831cd27d2017897e0c81e9a12852eb10.googledrive.com/host/0B4gwdXQk1LyieHZHSTBqd0VJSnc/aaroads/bw8-project-details.png (https://1968d90e831cd27d2017897e0c81e9a12852eb10.googledrive.com/host/0B4gwdXQk1LyieHZHSTBqd0VJSnc/aaroads/bw8-project-details.png)

Originating document, see page 3-22
http://www.h-gac.com/taq/tip/docs/2017-2020/3-Highway-Projects.pdf (http://www.h-gac.com/taq/tip/docs/2017-2020/3-Highway-Projects.pdf)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on February 10, 2017, 08:04:56 PM
Harris County is soliciting bids. The HCTRA web site lists the cost at $962 millon.
http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2017/2017-02-14ag.pdf  (http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2017/2017-02-14ag.pdf) page 8
https://www.hctra.org/Ship_Channel_Bridge_Widening (https://www.hctra.org/Ship_Channel_Bridge_Widening)

"Recommendation for authorization to seek bids for a 16-week period for construction of the East Sam Houston Tollway between IH-10 East and SH-225 including construction of twin bridges over the Houston Ship Channel in connection with the Ship Channel Bridge Program in Precinct 2 (UPIN 130505R133)."
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: TXtoNJ on February 11, 2017, 02:39:13 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on October 05, 2015, 08:40:52 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on October 05, 2015, 11:57:17 AM
Max, do you know who was responsible for the engineering of the current bridge? Was it DHPT Houston Division, or the TTA?

I'm nearly certain it was the TTA, which would have contracted out the design to a consulting firm. But I looked through my readily available book research notes, and I could not find confirmation of TTA doing the design. I have a small booklet published by the TTA or TxDOT which details the history of the TTA. I'm thinking that booklet would likely confirm TTA's role in the design, but it turns out that booklet is in my remote storage unit.
 


https://www.pci.org/Design_Resources/Guides_and_Manuals/References/Bridge_Design_Manual/JL-82-May-June_Design_and_Construction_of_the_Houston_Ship_Channel_Bridge/

Found this, which seems to answer all the questions I had about the original bridge's construction. Might be worth a mention on Houston Freeways?
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: nolia_boi504 on February 13, 2017, 05:09:28 PM
Got a hold of some slides from a presentation seeking bids for the Ship Channel Bridge replacement. I personally love the design!! I already loved the Fred Hartman, and this seems to be a huge improvement over it.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/1.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/3.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/4.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/5.png)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on February 13, 2017, 08:06:54 PM
Your last view (copied below) shows all eight direct connectors for a five-level interchange at SH 225. I feel a little better about the $962 million price tag since the new interchange is included.

Do you have a link to that document?

Quote from: nolia_boi504 on February 13, 2017, 05:09:28 PM
Got a hold of some slides from a presentation seeking bids for the Ship Channel Bridge replacement.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/5.png)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on February 13, 2017, 08:16:45 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on February 11, 2017, 02:39:13 PM

https://www.pci.org/Design_Resources/Guides_and_Manuals/References/Bridge_Design_Manual/JL-82-May-June_Design_and_Construction_of_the_Houston_Ship_Channel_Bridge/

Found this, which seems to answer all the questions I had about the original bridge's construction. Might be worth a mention on Houston Freeways?

That's a nice find. Most shocking is the low cost of construction, $19 million for the main span (around $55 million in today's dollars) and $60 million ($174 million in today's dollars) for all construction, including the approaches and adjacent freeway sections.

Of course the new bridge deck is about 2.8 times as wide as the existing bridge, which still scales to $487 million in today's money. The demolition of the existing bridge will probably be an expensive item, I'm thinking maybe $25 to $50 million.

Every time I convert highway construction costs from the 1960s and 1970s to today, the conclusion is always the same. The cost of highway construction has gone up much faster than overall inflation.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: TXtoNJ on February 13, 2017, 09:30:05 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on February 13, 2017, 08:16:45 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on February 11, 2017, 02:39:13 PM

https://www.pci.org/Design_Resources/Guides_and_Manuals/References/Bridge_Design_Manual/JL-82-May-June_Design_and_Construction_of_the_Houston_Ship_Channel_Bridge/

Found this, which seems to answer all the questions I had about the original bridge's construction. Might be worth a mention on Houston Freeways?

That's a nice find. Most shocking is the low cost of construction, $19 million for the main span (around $55 million in today's dollars) and $60 million ($174 million in today's dollars) for all construction, including the approaches and adjacent freeway sections.

Of course the new bridge deck is about 2.8 times as wide as the existing bridge, which still scales to $487 million in today's money. The demolition of the existing bridge will probably be an expensive item, I'm thinking maybe $25 to $50 million.

Every time I convert highway construction costs from the 1960s and 1970s to today, the conclusion is always the same. The cost of highway construction has gone up much faster than overall inflation.


It is amazing. What also stood out to me was part of the rationale for the box girder design (when cable-stayed had been an option) - steel prices were subject to heavy fluctuation, and concrete prices were much more stable. This hints at why costs have elevated so much - concrete is 2.6x more expensive in real terms than it was in 1982.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: nolia_boi504 on February 14, 2017, 09:16:35 AM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on February 13, 2017, 08:06:54 PM
Your last view (copied below) shows all eight direct connectors for a five-level interchange at SH 225. I feel a little better about the $962 million price tag since the new interchange is included.

Do you have a link to that document?


Link: https://www.civcastusa.com/project/586788bd01ec5a1ae0044c79/plans (https://www.civcastusa.com/project/586788bd01ec5a1ae0044c79/plans)

Here are some of the attachments:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/Contractor%20Information%20Meeting%20Flyer.pdf (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/Contractor%20Information%20Meeting%20Flyer.pdf)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/Second%20Contractor%20Information%20Meeting%20Flyer.pdf (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/Second%20Contractor%20Information%20Meeting%20Flyer.pdf)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2016-09-21_CIM_Presentation%20Ver5_Morning%20Session.pdf (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2016-09-21_CIM_Presentation%20Ver5_Morning%20Session.pdf)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2016-09-21_CIM_Presentation%20Ver5_Afternoon%20Session%20Part%201.pdf (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2016-09-21_CIM_Presentation%20Ver5_Afternoon%20Session%20Part%201.pdf)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2016-09-21_CIM_Presentation%20Ver5_Afternoon%20Session%20Part%202.pdf (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8059547/Forums/Sam%20Hou%20Twy%20Ship%20Channel/2016-09-21_CIM_Presentation%20Ver5_Afternoon%20Session%20Part%202.pdf)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: compdude787 on February 14, 2017, 03:45:24 PM
How old is the existing bridge? Why don't they just twin it?
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: davewiecking on February 14, 2017, 05:38:39 PM
OP and reply #1 touched on that issue (why tear down a 1982 bridge?). As was stated in the Public Notice, "the piers for the new bridge (actually bridges) will be constructed on land and there will be no obstructions in the waterway", while the current bridge has 2 piers in the channel, one quite near a coal transfer facility. OP's third speculation (desire for a longer span) makes most sense to me (from 1200 miles away).
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on February 14, 2017, 07:54:54 PM
Thanks nolia_boi504 for those links.

Quote from: MaxConcrete on February 13, 2017, 08:06:54 PM
Your last view (copied below) shows all eight direct connectors for a five-level interchange at SH 225. I feel a little better about the $962 million price tag since the new interchange is included.

Well, after reading the documents I don't feel better about the price tag anymore. This project does not include the direct connectors at SH 225. The document about the south approach states "Accommodates future SH 225 direct connectors at S end."
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: compdude787 on February 15, 2017, 01:01:20 AM
Quote from: davewiecking on February 14, 2017, 05:38:39 PM
OP and reply #1 touched on that issue (why tear down a 1982 bridge?).

Sorry, should have actually read this thread before asking questions like that. I'm amazed that a bridge built in 1982 would have had no shoulders. Bad design much? I guess that they were being really cheap...
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Anthony_JK on February 15, 2017, 01:34:08 AM
Quote from: davewiecking on February 14, 2017, 05:38:39 PM
OP and reply #1 touched on that issue (why tear down a 1982 bridge?). As was stated in the Public Notice, "the piers for the new bridge (actually bridges) will be constructed on land and there will be no obstructions in the waterway", while the current bridge has 2 piers in the channel, one quite near a coal transfer facility. OP's third speculation (desire for a longer span) makes most sense to me (from 1200 miles away).

Also, the original Ship Channel Bridge was only 4 lanes (2x2) with a very excessive 5% gradient crossing the channel. The new bridge will be 4x4 with proper shoulders, and a much better 3% gradient crossing. Too bad about not adding the Pasadena (SH 225) connectors, though.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: DNAguy on February 16, 2017, 10:33:03 AM
HCTRA is missing the boat on the direct connectors. Tolled connectors would be BANK. Although, I don't know if they have the ROW for this. That is most likely TxDOT.

The traffic on the frontage roads at ~ 5-7AM and 4-6PM is horrendous. Actually horrendous is kind.

They actually have Deer Park PD  block a lane on the frontage road to let Shell Refinery contractors out.

Giving people the option of paying $0.50-0.75 just to take a flyover and to not wait 35-45 minutes (what normally is ~ 1-2 minutes) to even get on the bridge would be a godsend for commuters.... and a windfall for whoever tolls it.

Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Anthony_JK on February 16, 2017, 11:27:42 AM
Quote from: DNAguy on February 16, 2017, 10:33:03 AM
HCTRA is missing the boat on the direct connectors. Tolled connectors would be BANK. Although, I don't know if they have the ROW for this. That is most likely TxDOT.

The traffic on the frontage roads at ~ 5-7AM and 4-6PM is horrendous. Actually horrendous is kind.

They actually have Deer Park PD  block a lane on the frontage road to let Shell Refinery contractors out.

Giving people the option of paying $0.50-0.75 just to take a flyover and to not wait 35-45 minutes (what normally is ~ 1-2 minutes) to even get on the bridge would be a godsend for commuters.... and a windfall for whoever tolls it.



Considering that they will be tolling the entire upgrade of the SHT through there, I'd think that they could build the connectors for free and add to the existing Sam Houston tolls via the new toll collection gallery. I don't think that travelers on the Pasadena/225 would go for tolls on the connectors themselves.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: DNAguy on February 17, 2017, 11:16:30 AM
I politely disagree that people wouldn't for the following reasons:

1.) There are 3 "free" crossings over the Ship Channel already (610 bridge, SH146 bridge, and Washburn tunnel) yet traffic backs up here A LOT during rush hour. People still wait through congestion instead of using one of the other routes. They will not care or at least won't change their habits if an additional 33% increase is added to the toll which is what tolling the flyovers does... assuming a $0.50 toll.
2.) There is still the "free" alternative to exit and wait through the light
3.) There are already tolled flyovers/direct connectors in the region and one specifically on the sam Houston tollway
4.) It's only going to get worse with the induced demand that will be created due to the southeast portion, and then east portion of the tollway getting widened.
5.) More chemical plants are being built in the region and billions of $'s are being spent to expand existing facilities due to cheap nat gas
6.) Time is $ and there is a A LOT of 18 wheeler traffic in this area. The toll is worth their time.

Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on January 12, 2018, 05:05:15 PM
Somehow I missed it when the news was fresh, but I just found this link about the award of the contract for the bridge.
http://www.traylor.com/nhcd-project-win-houston-ship-channel-bridge/ (http://www.traylor.com/nhcd-project-win-houston-ship-channel-bridge/)

Quote
On Tuesday, September 26th, the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) took the first steps toward awarding Ship Channel Constructors (SCC), a joint venture between Traylor Bros., Inc. and Zachry Construction Corporation, a contract for construction of the Sam Houston Tollway Ship Channel Bridge Replacement. The joint venture will build two new landmark cable-stayed bridges across the channel, providing four toll lanes and full shoulders in each direction, while maintaining traffic on the busy water- and roadways along the alignment.

In the HCTRA contract document (https://www.hctra.org/-/media/3FE15A08139B437A991C1042337C68FD.ashx (https://www.hctra.org/-/media/3FE15A08139B437A991C1042337C68FD.ashx)), the cost is listed at $567,911,750.40, well below the cost estimate of $612 million. This project includes the piece-by-piece removal of the existing segmental (concrete box girder) bridge, basically reversing the step-by-step process used to build it.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.traylor.com%2Fwp%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FPages-from-HCTRA-Houston-Ship-Channel-Final-Proposal-SCC.png&hash=2ba26858f5c987ab24fdcd47d3984ddb69a12f02)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: TXtoNJ on January 12, 2018, 05:23:52 PM
I'm assuming they will build the west span first, demolish the existing structure, and then finish the east span? If so, would you guess completion in the 2026-2028 range, with the first lanes opening around 2022-3?
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on January 12, 2018, 05:40:35 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on January 12, 2018, 05:23:52 PM
I'm assuming they will build the west span first, demolish the existing structure, and then finish the east span? If so, would you guess completion in the 2026-2028 range, with the first lanes opening around 2022-3?

Yes, your construction sequence is consistent with my understanding. The new northbound span (east span) will be in about the same position as the existing span.

According to the Traylor site, project completion is scheduled for December 2023. That's a fairly aggressive schedule, considering that each of the three major phases (built west span, remove existing span, built east span) must proceed one at a time in series, after the prior phase is complete.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on June 02, 2018, 12:28:32 AM
Construction has begun, as reported in this article
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/06/01/1b-construction-project-to-replace-houston-ship.html (https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/06/01/1b-construction-project-to-replace-houston-ship.html)

The business journal article references an article in Roads and Bridges, which provides extensive technical details and has some nice depictions
https://www.roadsbridges.com/ship-and-handling# (https://www.roadsbridges.com/ship-and-handling#)

The article says the "existing bridge [will be] demolished". My understanding from earlier reports that the main span would be deconstructed, basically disassembled one segmental section at a time, in reverse order to how it was built. I don't know if that qualifies as demolished, or if the plan has changed.

The existing bridge, opened in 1982, will probably reach its 39th birthday before it is removed. This is Houston, where short building and infrastructure lifespans are common.
I recently posted photos of the high school I attended, which opened in 1969. A couple weeks ago it was reduced to rubble.
http://houstonfreeways.com/Home/photos/sharpstown-high-school-demolition-2018 (http://houstonfreeways.com/Home/photos/sharpstown-high-school-demolition-2018)


(https://files.roadsbridges.com/s3fs-public/styles/content_image/public/field/image/Aerial-view-large.jpg)

(https://roadsandbridges.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/inside-stays-curved-pylon-blue-inside-opt-3_Large.jpg)
(https://roadsandbridges.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/HoustonPylonSection.jpg)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Chris on January 07, 2020, 01:42:41 PM
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/hctra-to-pause-construction-on-ship-channel-bridge-to-fix-possible-structural-weakness/285-ae4a99a4-211d-4fcf-b0e5-dd3ead6ba772

The Harris County Toll Road Authority's largest project to date is being put on hold to fix a potential design flaw in the Beltway 8 Ship Channel Bridge, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.

HCTRA announced they plan to pause construction on the main pylons of the cable-stayed portion of the bridge replacement project. HCTRA hired an independent consultant to review the design.

That consultant identified an issue related to the design of the curved portions of the pylon legs.


That doesn't sound good...

https://twitter.com/ChrisCostaTV/status/1214600164066963456
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on January 07, 2020, 07:28:14 PM
(https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/07/71/53/18848452/15/640x0.jpg)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on March 09, 2020, 06:58:35 PM
The completed engineering review has uncovered a long list of issues. This could cause a lengthy and expensive delay.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Engineers-raise-significant-concerns-on-15118122.php (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Engineers-raise-significant-concerns-on-15118122.php)

Quote
Engineers raise "˜significant concerns' on Ship Channel Bridge design, delaying billion-dollar project
In their final report, the COWI evaluators detail their concerns with the bridge's design, including worries that:

  parts of the massive pillars meant to hold up the cable stay bridge do not meet the county's specifications

  pylons sunk into the boggy ground along Buffalo Bayou do not meet the county's set design standards, along with inadequate structural capacity for the base of the towers

  curves along the giant towers do not meet capacity requirements for carrying the load

  cables that support the bridge and thread through the massive towers do not met the project's standards for avoiding slight movements

Combined, the issues raised by COWI affect nearly every major facet of the design and construction of the bridge, from below ground to high above the roadway where the towers will rise to 514 feet.


(https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/11/04/02/19153058/3/gallery_xlarge.jpg)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Plutonic Panda on March 09, 2020, 09:30:27 PM
So they will have to tear it down and start anew?
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: armadillo speedbump on March 10, 2020, 03:03:28 AM
Goodness gracious!  Several people at FIGG Bridge Engineers, Inc. belong in jail.  Starting with the founder's daughter that used the Gurl Power angle to get contracts and glowing writeups in the media pre-FIU debacle, and seemed more concerned with artistry than safety.

How did construction get this much built without discovering these problems?  If a county commissioner hadn't requested a new review after the Miami collapse, the faulty design would have been completely built?  Shouldn't heads roll at HCTRA and TXDOT?  The FIU bridge disaster may have saved more lives by preventing an even bigger disaster.

Then there's this from the Miami collapse followup:

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/judge-demands-to-know-why-fiu-bridge-engineers-phone-has-water-damage/143913/

But there's a big problem with getting that evidence: three months after the collapse, the phone used by the most important engineer on the project suffered "water damage"  before anyone tried to back up its contents.

That's what lawyers for the engineer's employer, FIGG Bridge Engineers, are telling a state court handling lawsuits against FIGG and others involved in the project.

But, after hearing testimony from FIGG vice president C. Denney Pate -- who said his wife accidentially washed his phone with his laundry one year ago -- Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey called FIGG's credibility into question.

Without questioning Pate's sworn testimony, she did criticize his employer's handling of potential evidence in the case, saying the company "fundamentally misrepresented" for months the status of the cellphone and its efforts to recover data from it.


It is scary reading the list of bridges they and their hive of sister companies have built.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: In_Correct on March 10, 2020, 11:17:28 AM
Even if it is about a construction company not the bridge design, I still agree that the entire Suspension Bridges and Cable Stayed Bridges are much taller, and easy to look at from a distant distance. The durability and safety of the bridges are lowest priority. Or there would be plenty of Cable Stayed and Suspension Bridges for freight rail. I have not encountered any. On the contrary, they built a truss bridge over Interstate 35. If H.C.T.R.A. built a Cantilever Truss Bridge instead instead of trying to build that fancy one, they would have opened it by now.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Chris on March 10, 2020, 12:27:14 PM
This is the same bridge designer that has also been kicked from the Corpus Christi bridge project.
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on August 11, 2020, 10:29:11 PM
FIGG has been removed from the project and is expected to be replaced by COWI.

There's not yet any official word on the cost or expected delay. That may not be known until COWI provides its plan for remediation.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/harris-county-ship-channel-bridge-houston-tx-15475117.php#photo-19798418 (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/harris-county-ship-channel-bridge-houston-tx-15475117.php#photo-19798418)

Quote
Harris County commissioners decided Tuesday to fire the engineering firm for the new Houston Ship Channel Bridge but held off on hiring a replacement, leaving the status of the county's costliest ever infrastructure project partially in limbo after it has already been beset by a monthslong delay.

The move follows a decision last month by the Federal Highway Administration to suspend and debar FIGG Bridge Group, whose Dallas office designed the $1 billion bridge. The company, based in Florida, came under scrutiny when its Tallahassee office designed a pedestrian bridge that collapsed in February 2018 at Florida International University, killing six. The firm is now ineligible for work on federally funded projects.


(https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/13/41/46/19798418/7/gallery_xlarge.jpg)

This photo, included in the news report, is from January 2020
(https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/11/04/02/19153058/19/gallery_xlarge.jpg)
Title: Re: Houston: HCTRA appears to be readying huge ship channel bridge project
Post by: Plutonic Panda on September 15, 2020, 12:41:42 AM
New designer announced:

https://www.worldhighways.com/wh10/news/new-designer-houston-channel-bridge
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on March 16, 2021, 10:04:49 PM
Drove through here last weekend. The bridge construction is pretty much going full speed.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: nolia_boi504 on March 16, 2021, 10:21:32 PM
Quote from: bwana39 on March 16, 2021, 10:04:49 PM
Drove through here last weekend. The bridge construction is pretty much going full speed.
I did too! It's been a few years since I had an opportunity to drive thru that part of town. Definitely exciting seeing the approaches so far along.

The work on the tower wasn't apparent to me. Is that progressing along now? So we have a timeline for completion of the first span?

Pixel 4

Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on November 19, 2021, 07:34:06 PM
The following appears in the agenda for the the next meeting of Harris County Commissioners court

QuoteRequest for approval of a contract amendment with Ship Channel Constructors, LLC, a limited liability company the members of which are Traylor Bros., Inc. and Zachry Construction Corporation, for construction of the ship channel bridge replacement project to increase the contract value by a not-to-exceed amount of $291,500,000 and to update necessary contract documents associated with this amendment. The majority of this increase impacts in FY 26-28.

We knew the price would go up due to the lengthy delay, but this increase is way more than I expected. The original overall project cost was listed at $962 million, so the increase is 30% of the total cost. However, the total cost includes work on the approaches and other costs (like very expensive utility relocations) which is not affected by the bridge problems. The bridge contract is for $568 million, and this is a 51% cost increase. Yikes.

For that huge overrun, I'm thinking they need to demolish the completed work on the main supports do major work on the foundations. I'm also wondering if the bridge design will change. I'm sure there will be more info when this contract amendment is approved.

We can expect news reports on this and probably some controversy when this is approved at the November 30 meeting.

Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Plutonic Panda on November 19, 2021, 07:44:47 PM
In my mind I keep getting this confused with the Corpus Christi bridge as to the problems going on with each of these projects. This is the project it was halted because it was the same contractor involved in the collapse of the Florida pedestrian bridge, right?
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on November 19, 2021, 07:49:51 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on November 19, 2021, 07:44:47 PM
In my mind I keep getting this confused with the Corpus Christi bridge as to the problems going on with each of these projects. This is the project it was halted because it was the same contractor involved in the collapse of the Florida pedestrian bridge, right?

Yes, the bridge designer/engineer is Figg, the same firm that designed the ill-fated Florida pedestrian bridge.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Plutonic Panda on November 19, 2021, 08:17:29 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on November 19, 2021, 07:49:51 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on November 19, 2021, 07:44:47 PM
In my mind I keep getting this confused with the Corpus Christi bridge as to the problems going on with each of these projects. This is the project it was halted because it was the same contractor involved in the collapse of the Florida pedestrian bridge, right?

Yes, the bridge designer/engineer is Figg, the same firm that designed the ill-fated Florida pedestrian bridge.
OK and that is the same design firm that is doing the Corpus Christi Harbor project
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: CoreySamson on November 20, 2021, 11:57:55 AM
What's the timetable for the bridge's completion now?
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Great Lakes Roads on December 08, 2021, 05:08:03 PM
Quote from: CoreySamson on November 20, 2021, 11:57:55 AM
What's the timetable for the bridge's completion now?

2028, according to a news station from Houston.
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/toll-road-authority-explains-300-million-fix-for-ship-channel-bridge-project

And the sleek concrete cable-stayed bridge design will be torn down, and it will be rebuilt with... steel girders!  :-/
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Bobby5280 on December 08, 2021, 10:13:01 PM
They say they're going to recover the cost via tolls on drivers. With the "fix" costing $300 million are there any guesses what those tolls might be? $20 each way? $40? $100? Do I hear $200? :-D

They might as well tear out all that crap and launch a ferry service. 2028 time frame for the new (and ordinary) bridge? Good grief, 'Murica is just getting to really suck at infrastructure anymore.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on December 09, 2021, 08:19:01 AM
Quote from: Bobby5280 on December 08, 2021, 10:13:01 PM
They say they're going to recover the cost via tolls on drivers. With the "fix" costing $300 million are there any guesses what those tolls might be? $20 each way? $40? $100? Do I hear $200? :-D

They might as well tear out all that crap and launch a ferry service. 2028 time frame for the new (and ordinary) bridge? Good grief, 'Murica is just getting to really suck at infrastructure anymore.

This toll offset would be throughout the HCTRA system. It still is astronomical. I am not sure the $300M is all new (excess) funding or if part of it is offset by things that were yet to be completed from the original estimates.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Echostatic on December 09, 2021, 09:43:18 AM
Quote from: Bobby5280 on December 08, 2021, 10:13:01 PM
They say they're going to recover the cost via tolls on drivers. With the "fix" costing $300 million are there any guesses what those tolls might be? $20 each way? $40? $100? Do I hear $200? :-D

They might as well tear out all that crap and launch a ferry service. 2028 time frame for the new (and ordinary) bridge? Good grief, 'Murica is just getting to really suck at infrastructure anymore.

For the sake of math I'm assuming the new bridge would carry the same AADT as the current ship channel bridge. It will of course carry much more, but I don't have numbers for something that doesn't exist. Also these numbers assume the repair bill of $300M gets tacked onto the bridge only, not the entire HCTRA system.

The current Ship Channel Bridge carried 57,750 vehicles daily in 2019, good for 21,078,750 crossings in a year. If they tried to pay off the repairs in one year, that'd be a $14.23 toll. If they tried to pay it off over the course of a decade, the additional toll would be $1.42. That's for just the bridge, now factor in the entire HCTRA network of tolls and the increase would be pennies.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Anthony_JK on December 11, 2021, 04:32:34 AM
The HCTRA network is immense enough that they should be able to cushion the cost of rebuilding the Ship Channel Bridge throughout the remainder of the system. Though, it will hurt the wallets of drivers just a tad.



Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Plutonic Panda on December 29, 2021, 12:05:56 PM
Another article about the increase in price:

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/harris-county-adds-300m-to-houston-canal-project-cost/54908
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on January 02, 2022, 10:03:10 PM
While the first  actual BRIDGE is not progressing at all, the approaches for this first of two  are going along on both banks as if nothing were amiss. It appears there are going to be complete approaches on both sides with zero work (perhaps not even a firm plan) on the bridge itself.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Anthony_JK on January 04, 2022, 11:31:22 PM
Quote from: bwana39 on January 02, 2022, 10:03:10 PM
While the first  actual BRIDGE is not progressing at all, the approaches for this first of two  are going along on both banks as if nothing were amiss. It appears there are going to be complete approaches on both sides with zero work (perhaps not even a firm plan) on the bridge itself.

Really? From what I've heard, they will have to tear down and rebuild the approaches at least partly to adapt to the new steel girder design.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on January 05, 2022, 12:36:02 AM
Quote from: Anthony_JK on January 04, 2022, 11:31:22 PM
Quote from: bwana39 on January 02, 2022, 10:03:10 PM
While the first  actual BRIDGE is not progressing at all, the approaches for this first of two  are going along on both banks as if nothing were amiss. It appears there are going to be complete approaches on both sides with zero work (perhaps not even a firm plan) on the bridge itself.

Really? From what I've heard, they will have to tear down and rebuild the approaches at least partly to adapt to the new steel girder design.

There is a lot more of the approaches done than when I was there back in August. It doesn't look like the approaches have stopped. I know they were beginning to build the towers for the suspension cables and that is having to come down, but the approaches are just (rather high) concrete stringer sections. It was too late in the day to stop and take pictures.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Bobby5280 on January 05, 2022, 02:03:06 PM
Once those bridge approach ramps are finished I can just imagine an Evel Knievel dare-devil type jumping the missing bridge gap with some kind of rocket car.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on March 08, 2022, 12:11:54 AM
Quote from: Bobby5280 on January 05, 2022, 02:03:06 PM
Once those bridge approach ramps are finished I can just imagine an Evel Knievel dare-devil type jumping the missing bridge gap with some kind of rocket car.

It looks like the approaches were lengthened toward the water by a couple of supports on each side of the channel from the ones originally set. They (the approaches) are mostly finished, but the bridge still does not appear to be in process at all.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Plutonic Panda on March 22, 2022, 10:49:03 PM
Looks like work will soon resume on the bridge with a price increase and obvious delays:

QuoteThe Ship Channel Bridge along the Sam Houston Tollway will cost Harris County nearly $300 million more, including $50 million to demolish what had been built as part of a "faulty design," according to county officials. The changes also will add three years to the project's original timeline.
What happened? According to Robert Treviño, executive director of Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), the county hired an engineering consultant to conduct an independent review of the previous Engineer of Record design of the main span portion of the bridge.

- https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/houstons-1b-fix-zachry-construction-traylor-brothers-inc-to-correct-tollway-bridge/55892
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on March 23, 2022, 08:25:36 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on March 22, 2022, 10:49:03 PM
Looks like work will soon resume on the bridge with a price increase and obvious delays:

QuoteThe Ship Channel Bridge along the Sam Houston Tollway will cost Harris County nearly $300 million more, including $50 million to demolish what had been built as part of a "faulty design," according to county officials. The changes also will add three years to the project's original timeline.
What happened? According to Robert Treviño, executive director of Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), the county hired an engineering consultant to conduct an independent review of the previous Engineer of Record design of the main span portion of the bridge.

- https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/houstons-1b-fix-zachry-construction-traylor-brothers-inc-to-correct-tollway-bridge/55892

I want to point out. The pictures on this article are dated. The approaches are almost finished on BOTH sides of the channel. It is the bridge itself that is still to be constructed. 

It seems to imply that construction came to a total halt and NOTHING has happened since. The construction of the approaches has not had a significant delay. It is possible there is a three-year delay, but I think much if not most of that delay was already happening BEFORE the stop even happened.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on March 23, 2022, 08:45:28 PM
I am not sure with the change to a more traditional bridge that we might re-think the second span altogether. IE keep the existing Jesse Jones Bridge as the northbound span..... It is more than wide enough for 3 lanes!
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 12:41:19 PM
https://goo.gl/maps/7HMUAvk56ZYAAUan6
I see the new bridge is going to be higher than the existing one.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on May 04, 2022, 01:17:51 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 12:41:19 PM
https://goo.gl/maps/7HMUAvk56ZYAAUan6
I see the new bridge is going to be higher than the existing one.
No, it will have the same vertical clearance as the existing bridge, 175 feet. The reason the new approach span is higher at the point of the photo is because the new approach span has a lower grade, so it is longer and is above the existing approach until it reaches the bridge main span.

Of course, the cable stay towers will be much higher then the existing span, which has no structure above the bridge deck.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on May 04, 2022, 10:15:27 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on May 04, 2022, 01:17:51 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 12:41:19 PM
https://goo.gl/maps/7HMUAvk56ZYAAUan6
I see the new bridge is going to be higher than the existing one.
No, it will have the same vertical clearance as the existing bridge, 175 feet. The reason the new approach span is higher at the point of the photo is because the new approach span has a lower grade, so it is longer and is above the existing approach until it reaches the bridge main span.

Of course, the cable stay towers will be much higher then the existing span, which has no structure above the bridge deck.

So is the new design cable stayed? 
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on May 04, 2022, 10:33:29 PM
Quote from: bwana39 on May 04, 2022, 10:15:27 PM
So is the new design cable stayed? 

https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/overview/program-facts.html (https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/overview/program-facts.html)

(https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/images/HCTRAProjectImages/Rendering_HSCB5-0011.png)
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on May 05, 2022, 08:40:12 AM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on May 04, 2022, 10:33:29 PM
Quote from: bwana39 on May 04, 2022, 10:15:27 PM
So is the new design cable stayed? 

https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/overview/program-facts.html (https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/overview/program-facts.html)

(https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/images/HCTRAProjectImages/Rendering_HSCB5-0011.png)

Isn't that the FIGG Design? This rendering is before the stop. I realize this would be a rather long span for a deck bridge, but the interviews from HCTRA seems to point that direction instead of cable stayed.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: roadman65 on May 05, 2022, 09:14:53 AM
So they're not copying the Fred Hartman to the east with tower designs I see.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on May 05, 2022, 10:17:28 AM
The official web site is still showing the original design. My perception is that the visual appearance of the main span will be mostly the same, but technical design features will change, such as using more steel instead of concrete.

But I don't know for a fact that the original appearance will be retained.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on May 05, 2022, 05:17:05 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on May 05, 2022, 10:17:28 AM
The official web site is still showing the original design. My perception is that the visual appearance of the main span will be mostly the same, but technical design features will change, such as using more steel instead of concrete.

But I don't know for a fact that the original appearance will be retained.

I read quite a bit. Like you you, I saw nothing about the towers or the cables themselves.  My perception (apparently wrong) was that all cable stayed bridges were concrete. That misperception would have made the steel runners / stringers that they have definitely said are going to be in there incompatible with cable stayed.  The one thing I did see was where someone from HCTRA said the new design would be less visually striking (but did not say what the profile would look like. )
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: DNAguy on May 06, 2022, 06:55:59 AM
Quote from: bwana39 on May 05, 2022, 05:17:05 PM
Quote from: MaxConcrete on May 05, 2022, 10:17:28 AM
The official web site is still showing the original design. My perception is that the visual appearance of the main span will be mostly the same, but technical design features will change, such as using more steel instead of concrete.

But I don't know for a fact that the original appearance will be retained.

I read quite a bit. Like you you, I saw nothing about the towers or the cables themselves.  My perception (apparently wrong) was that all cable stayed bridges were concrete. That misperception would have made the steel runners / stringers that they have definitely said are going to be in there incompatible with cable stayed.  The one thing I did see was where someone from HCTRA said the new design would be less visually striking (but did not say what the profile would look like. )

https://www.fox26houston.com/news/toll-road-authority-explains-300-million-fix-for-ship-channel-bridge-project

QuoteRather than the original sleek concrete design, the bridge will be constructed with steel, like many other bridges. It will also take time to complete. Rather than the original 2024 completion date, work is now expected to last into 2028, before traffic congestion is eased on the busy thoroughfare.

Are you referring to this?

I don't know if they're saying the bridge will look totally different, the concrete pylons will now be steel pylons, or if the pylons will not be "˜sleek' but a bulky due to their use of steel.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: Chris on May 06, 2022, 04:11:56 PM
Steel pylons were used a lot for the first generation of German cable-stayed bridges built in the 1960s and 1970s. These have similar spans as the Houston Ship Channel Bridge (which is 1320 ft).

Steel cable-stayed bridges are also more common in Japan, their largest cable-stayed bridges are steel. Examples: https://goo.gl/maps/6BgqdAaKG2m8BHrj6 or https://goo.gl/maps/xCL6GF8saYeLJs3F6
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on August 12, 2022, 05:45:03 PM
HCTRA called it a (Pylon Construction) Pause.

https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/images/HCTRADocuments/newsreleases/HCTRA_SCB_Pylon_Construction_Pause_01-06-2020.pdf

They have continued on with the approaches, but is there any headway on the design of the actual bridge?
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on September 11, 2022, 05:33:56 PM
I drove through the bridge project today. It is very difficult to get a decent view of the location of the main support pylons. As best as I can tell, there is nothing in the pylon locations, which means they have been demolished. It looks like all photos of the original pylons have been removed from the photo collections on the official web site.

Work on the new approaches is substantially complete, with the deck completed on the north and south sides.

March 2020 photo
(https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/11/04/02/19153058/3/gallery_xlarge.jpg)

Photos taken today

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220911-8-bridge.jpg (http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220911-8-bridge.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdallasfreeways.com%2Fdfwfreeways%2FAARoads%2F20220911-8-bridge.jpg&hash=b33d6038bd9b708b1f8349b47c555f8fa2d415bf)

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220911-8-bridge-b.jpg (http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220911-8-bridge-b.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdallasfreeways.com%2Fdfwfreeways%2FAARoads%2F20220911-8-bridge-b.jpg&hash=1dae873020e49bc5c94b1fa963020dae86b97331)
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on October 12, 2022, 04:36:53 PM
The Houston Chronicle has a report on the project status today, with many photos.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/Ship-Channel-Bridge-after-design-changes-17499866.php

The original pylons were demolished (as I suspected in my previous post). The demolition cost was $50 million. The first concrete pouring event for the above-ground pylon was yesterday, which means it is now once again rising upward.

The article says "Each pylon now is nearly three times as large as the footprint along the ship channel, with 2.8 times the concrete and 8.3-times the steel rebar of the initial design." What? That seems like a lot. But since the span was changed to use a steel for the deck sections, it is probably much heavier now, necessitating a much larger pylon.

QuoteThe work does, however, come with a large cost. Commissioners Court in November approved spending nearly $300 million, including $50 million to demolish previously built work, simply to restart construction.

Combined with the pause to reconsider the design, the changes added two years to the project. Drivers will not cross the first of the two spans until mid-2025, when two northbound and southbound lanes will shift to the new structure. Crews then will demolish the existing bridge and build the second span. Finally, by 2028, the tollway will be four lanes in each direction with shoulders, something the current bridge has lacked, which sometimes could leading to a harrowing trip for motorists in heavy winds or rain high above the ship channel.

Though the changes along the Sam Houston Tollway largely will go unnoticed by drivers for months, structurally they are significant, starting at the ground level. Sub-surface work, where crews dug holes in excess of 200 feet and then poured concrete columns to stabilize the span stayed unchanged from the original design.

That makes the ongoing concrete pour, and another scheduled to start soon on the southern support for the span, huge in terms of concrete and construction timing. Each pylon now is nearly three times as large as the footprint along the ship channel, with 2.8 times the concrete and 8.3-times the steel rebar of the initial design.

Creating that thicker, wider base, however, will be a long process. Prasad Jasti, project manager for the bridge, said each of the 514-foot towers is broken into 16 sections. The concrete pours for each section should take about 20 days, meaning about a years worth of work to get the towers topped before the cable-stay bridge can be built.

What those cables and towers hold up, however, is different than initially planned. As part of the redesign to eliminate safety concerns, Trevino said officials opted to ditch the concrete forms that FIGG designed to put the bridge together like a very large piece of IKEA furniture in favor of steel beams topped with concrete.

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Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on October 21, 2022, 08:12:44 AM
I saw / read the cost of removing the partially built bridge pylons. I cannot seem to find it again, but what I saw was shocking.

Any idea why it was so much?
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: bwana39 on November 17, 2023, 02:16:41 PM
They appear to be 90%+ finished with the approaches. Any idea where they are on the bridge plans?
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on November 19, 2023, 10:33:13 AM
Quote from: bwana39 on November 17, 2023, 02:16:41 PM
They appear to be 90%+ finished with the approaches. Any idea where they are on the bridge plans?

I drove through a few weeks ago and I was not able to see the new bridge towers, which means they are still very low to the ground. So it appears that progress is slow on the main span. I have not seen any official status reports.

The official web page (https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/) has not been updated since April 2020.

Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on December 19, 2023, 09:40:42 PM
The Houston Chronicle included the bridge status in a recent report (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/houston-transportation-projects-2024-18507208.php).

It confirms what I reported in November, which is that no progress is visible yet.

The timeline for completing the project is long, early 2026 for the first span, which already has its approaches built. The soonest completion of both spans is 2028, but I'm expecting it to be behind schedule.

QuoteWork resumed on the biggest single public works project in Harris County history more than one year ago, but drivers along the Sam Houston Tollway can hardly tell the difference. Crews are still pouring the two massive foundations for the towers that will suspend the new taller, longer bridge spanning the channel.

Provided the project stays on schedule, the southbound span – the bridge is really two side-by-side structures – will be open by late 2025 or early 2026. Traffic in both directions will move to the new bridge, so the current span can be demolished and then the new northbound lanes built in the same place.

At the earliest, the bridge won't be fully built until 2028.
Title: Re: Houston: ship channel bridge project
Post by: MaxConcrete on February 14, 2024, 09:01:22 AM
There is actually some progress on the bridge, and the Houston Chronicle has a report (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/hctrra-ship-channel-bridge-tollway-18642180.php).

QuoteTo some drivers, the notion that Harris County was working on a new Sam Houston Tollway bridge across the ship channel might have once seemed like a tall tale.

Now it is a tall pillar of concrete and steel – where workers trudge up and down 15 flights of stairs and counting. It will eventually tower over the ship channel as the priciest piece of road ever for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

Almost two years from completion, the first phase of the Houston Ship Channel span is becoming more noticeable to drivers on the existing bridge. Even more work will become obvious over the summer, but not without another thing tollway drivers are used to seeing: lane closures.

...

The southbound span – where the new approach lanes have been sitting for more than three years – is scheduled to open by the end of 2025. The demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the second massive span will take until 2028, officials said.

"For a long while there it seemed like they stopped working." For months, they did stop, as officials sorted out what to with the initial design, which relied on a cable-stay bridge design that used precast concrete pieces tightened into place. While using precast sections avoided erecting steel across the ship channel, then pouring concrete in a typical method, a 2018 Florida bridge collapse that involved the same bridge engineering group led some to question the new technique.

That rethink halted work on the bridge in January 2020, ultimately setting the project back by nearly four years by some estimates, but assuring the bridge – which ballooned in cost from $1 billion to $1.3 billion because of the rethinking and redesign – doesn't fail.

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