Long Island (Boston) Bridge demolition begins

[Pete from Boston]

I'm surprised this hasn't come up here yet. 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/05/boston-begin-demolition-long-island-bridge/a97YITFSV3huG5hdTj2tbN/story.html

As most in the Boston area already know, the bridge to Long Island in Boston Harbor was closed in October.  The island was not open to the public, housed city services (primarily a homeless shelter, apparently since the 1880s), and was immediately evacuated.

According to this article, demolition will cost $20 million and may be done by the end of next month (the span looked intact today).  A new bridge will cost at least $80 million.  Meanwhile, there is no consensus right now as to what the future of the island will be, which to me makes planning a new bridge premature.

Coincidentally, the Old Northern Avenue Bridge, a road bridge converted sloppily to pedestrian use in 1998, was closed completely last month, due to weak "floor beams" (not sure what they're referring to there).  Not a good season for old Boston bridges.


On a side note, does anyone know of other examples of a place being completely vacated because of a bridge failure?  I was surprised they didn't set up a ferry shuttle here instead of emptying the island completely.

[SteveG1988]

So it is a bridge that serves city services, and the taxpayers are expected to pay to replace a bridge that 99% will never be able to use?

What needs to be done is just set up a foot ferry, it would allow for people to come and go, like you said, a shuttle ferry. I am sure they could get a used ferry from a service that is either shutting down or thinning out their fleet. Since there are not that many people on the island it would not have issues. On the island have them use golf karts or similar vehicles to get around. Only issue would be removing waste from the island.

[Mdcastle]

There were three farms along the Minnesota River in Bloomington, MN. They were vacated when the Old Cedar Bridge was closed to vehicle traffic.

[Pete from Boston]

So it is a bridge that serves city services, and the taxpayers are expected to pay to replace a bridge that 99% will never be able to use?

This was pretty much the center of conversation about the island's future that happened when the bridge closed. 

I say "was" because it's all Olympics now, and all planning discussion seems to have instantly turned to "How can this help the Olympics?"

[ATLRedSoxFan]

It's a rehab house(Andrew House) I think, with a homeless shelter. Not sure about it's Olympic potential, but hey, you never know.. (Vaugely familiar).

[Pete from Boston]

Portion of ailing Long Island Bridge is removed



[Also includes a gallery of the removal of the main span]

A 250-foot-long section of the crumbling Long Island Bridge was removed Wednesday morning, according to Mayor Martin J. Walsh's office.

The work on removing Span 11, which was over the main navigational channel, began around 2 a.m., the office said in a statement.

The section was lifted, placed on a barge, and taken to a facility in Everett. Workers continue to prepare spans 12, 13, and 14 for removal. The anticipated removal date for those spans is the week of March 9, the office said.

[iBallasticwolf2]

What needs to be done is just set up a foot ferry, it would allow for people to come and go, like you said, a shuttle ferry. I am sure they could get a used ferry from a service that is either shutting down or thinning out their fleet. Since there are not that many people on the island it would not have issues. On the island have them use golf karts or similar vehicles to get around. Only issue would be removing waste from the island.

I agree

[SteveG1988]

What needs to be done is just set up a foot ferry, it would allow for people to come and go, like you said, a shuttle ferry. I am sure they could get a used ferry from a service that is either shutting down or thinning out their fleet. Since there are not that many people on the island it would not have issues. On the island have them use golf karts or similar vehicles to get around. Only issue would be removing waste from the island.

I agree

With even further thought, require anything on the island to be biodegradable, and have a compost pile on it, and grow a garden.

[Pete from Boston]

Two recent stories on the Long Island bridge:


Large section of Long Island Bridge demolished (includes demolition video)

With a rumbling boom and a burst of smoke, a large section of the Long Island Bridge was demolished Monday as contractors imploded a 750-foot-long piece that connects to the island, officials said.


City councilors skeptical about rebuilding Long Island Bridge

Officials have said reconstructing the 3,450-foot-long bridge will cost $80 million. The city's capital plan includes $35 million for the bridge, but it remains unclear where the city would get the rest of the money.

Councilor Stephen J. Murphy of Hyde Park said that each year the city's budget includes a list of priorities that must be considered before replacing the bridge. Murphy said the city could spend much less on ferry service and focus its resources on more pressing needs.

"We only have so much money to spread around all this list,'' he said. "For about $4 million, the City of Boston could invest in a ferry to ferry people back and forth to Long Island."

[SteveG1988]

4 million for a ferry, 31 million to build facilities on the island to make it self sufficent in terms of waste treatment and removal.

[Pete from Boston]

4 million for a ferry, 31 million to build facilities on the island to make it self sufficent in terms of waste treatment and removal.

I missed that $31 million figure.  Where is it from?

[SteveG1988]

4 million for a ferry, 31 million to build facilities on the island to make it self sufficent in terms of waste treatment and removal.

I missed that $31 million figure.  Where is it from?

4 million is the quite for the ferry, use the rest of the 35 mil that a bridge would cost to make the island able to survive on just a ferry, water treatment facilities, farms, incinerators for power, etc.