US 49 Helena Bridge

[US71]

https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/05/28/investigators-federal-info-shows-us-bridge-requires-corrective-action-traffic-increases/
Increased traffic on US 49 Helena Bridge requires s corrective action

[PastTense]

The increased traffic is quite temporary--only until the Memphis I-40 bridge is repaired. Since the bridge is not in danger of falling down, nothing needs to be done.

[Mapmikey]

ARDOT authorized studying the feasibility of improving US 49 including a new bridge at Helena at its Sept 2020 meeting.

See page 10 at https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/September-2-and-September-23-2020-Minute-Orders.pdf

[bwana39]

ARDOT authorized studying the feasibility of improving US 49 including a new bridge at Helena at its Sept 2020 meeting.

See page 10 at https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/September-2-and-September-23-2020-Minute-Orders.pdf

You could study anything. Just because you study something does not mean you act on it. I have a friend who got married the same EXACT day my wife and I did. He and his wife had a rough patch (or 4). He went and studied divorce. When he figured out the economics, he decided to drop it. He was married to her until his death.

I feel comfortable that the Helena Bridge is sufficient for the local traffic. I have said this before, this bridge poses no navigation hazard. There is no pressing need to remove it. As long as it suffices for local traffic, leave it in place and build another bridge somewhere else. My choice would be closer ot Memphis. Even the proposed Dean Bridge (which I have ranted and railed against) would be a better use of funds than removing a small town bridge that is sufficient for what its use in the next decade or so would dictate.

[edwaleni]

ARDOT authorized studying the feasibility of improving US 49 including a new bridge at Helena at its Sept 2020 meeting.

See page 10 at https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/September-2-and-September-23-2020-Minute-Orders.pdf

You could study anything. Just because you study something does not mean you act on it. I have a friend who got married the same EXACT day my wife and I did. He and his wife had a rough patch (or 4). He went and studied divorce. When he figured out the economics, he decided to drop it. He was married to her until his death.

I feel comfortable that the Helena Bridge is sufficient for the local traffic. I have said this before, this bridge poses no navigation hazard. There is no pressing need to remove it. As long as it suffices for local traffic, leave it in place and build another bridge somewhere else. My choice would be closer ot Memphis. Even the proposed Dean Bridge (which I have ranted and railed against) would be a better use of funds than removing a small town bridge that is sufficient for what its use in the next decade or so would dictate.

Studies are simply performing a professional assessment of the capability of a said bridge against current standards and requirements.

No different than a car owner assessing his car or truck after few hundred thousand miles to determine if it is viable to meet ones needs. (or in the example above, the viability of ones spouse)

[Rick Powell]

ARDOT authorized studying the feasibility of improving US 49 including a new bridge at Helena at its Sept 2020 meeting.

The late Bob Blasius, former IDOT District 3 engineer, once told me: "A feasibility study is something you do when you have no intention of actually building anything." Basically to appease the political constituency and demonstrate "doing something". Not all feasibility studies are used in this manner of course, but it brought a smile to my face from the memory.

[edwaleni]

ARDOT authorized studying the feasibility of improving US 49 including a new bridge at Helena at its Sept 2020 meeting.

The late Bob Blasius, former IDOT District 3 engineer, once told me: "A feasibility study is something you do when you have no intention of actually building anything." Basically to appease the political constituency and demonstrate "doing something". Not all feasibility studies are used in this manner of course, but it brought a smile to my face from the memory.

This makes me laugh, mostly because it sounds so Illinois. So it's a viability study on political appeasement.

[Mapmikey]

While the above responses are certainly true, how often does a DOT build a project of that scale without doing a study beforehand?

[bwana39]

While the above responses are certainly true, how often does a DOT build a project of that scale without doing a study beforehand?

Oh I agree with you as well. The point is just because you study it doesn't even mean you have ANY intentions of building it.

As to actually building a project, these types of studies are parts of the EIS and other permitting and funding processes.

Which means you have to study it to build it, but you don't have to build anything just because you did a study on it.

I might add, generally, pointless studies are just a part of a bigger picture study that actually has elements that are actually within the realm of probabilities or even something that is almost certain to be built.

[Stephane Dumas]

Slightly off-topic but I wonder if the US-49 Helena bridge is retrofitted for earthquakes since it's in the New Madrid fault zone?

[Road Hog]

Slightly off-topic but I wonder if the US-49 Helena bridge is retrofitted for earthquakes since it's in the New Madrid fault zone?

I'm guessing not, since the bridge is old and not on a major route. A quake will just save both states on demolition costs and they'll count on federal disaster money to rebuild it.

[bwana39]

Slightly off-topic but I wonder if the US-49 Helena bridge is retrofitted for earthquakes since it's in the New Madrid fault zone?

I'm guessing not, since the bridge is old and not on a major route. A quake will just save both states on demolition costs and they'll count on federal disaster money to rebuild it.

It isn't about not spending money. It is the same reason they replaced the San Francisco Bay Bridge.  There is no good seismic retrofit available. As far as that goes, the M&A has not had a seismic upgrade.   

You know, I am as opposed to poor expenditure of public funds as your caricature depicts. The problem is you are as sarcastic about needed expenditure as you are about absolute waste. 

[edwaleni]

Slightly off-topic but I wonder if the US-49 Helena bridge is retrofitted for earthquakes since it's in the New Madrid fault zone?

Structural appraisal:   Basically intolerable requiring high priority of corrective action

https://bridgereports.com/1018219

Last rehab: 1991

I didn't see any seismic actions taken.